Flooding at Carlsbad Caverns strands 150 tourists for several hours

CARLSBAD, N.M — Heavy rains and flash flooding issues stranded 150 tourists at Carlsbad Caverns National Park for several hours Saturday, authorities said.

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Officials at the park allowed people to leave safely from the site shortly before midnight, KOAT-TV reported. Earlier Saturday, flash flooding issues caused officials to issue a shelter-in-place warning for several hours at their visitor’s center, according to the television station.

In a statement, park officials said the road to the visitors center and cavern was closed Sunday.

Eddy County had received several inches of rain beginning Friday, with the National Weather Service predicting more precipitation through next week, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reported. At least 2 inches of rain had fallen upstream near Lakewood, causing weather officials to issue flash flood warnings for most of the county, the newspaper reported.

No injuries or deaths were reported by the National Park Service, the Current-Argus reported.

Albuquerque residents Robert and Stephanie Saavedra were among those stranded at the national park. Stephanie Saavedra said that her family was about halfway through the tour when officials gave the evacuation order, KOAT reported.

“We’ve been asking about food and water, since we have three small kids,” Stephanie Saavedra told the television station. “They don’t even know about food and water for us. We’re just walking around and waiting.”

According to a report by the National Park Service, 349,244 people visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 2021.

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