A sheriff gets stuck on the roof of his car during floods in New Mexico

On By Yukito

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A New Mexico police officer was rescued from raging floods over the weekend after becoming trapped on the roof of his squad car, according to video released by the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office.

A video recorded by Sheriff Mike Herrington, posted Sunday on the sheriff’s office Facebook page, shows him speaking into a phone camera as police lights flash around him. Below him in the dark you can see and hear rushing water.

“I’m sitting on the top of my police car right now,” Herrington, wearing a yellow windbreaker, tells the camera. “I’m completely surrounded by water… I came into it not expecting so much water and before I knew it I was swept up in it. A lot of vehicles were also swept away,” he says in the roughly one-and-a-half-minute clip.

After viewing a panorama to show the extent of the flooding that claimed other cars, Herrington took the opportunity to warn county residents to stay home and avoid the roads.

“Everybody out here, be careful, stay safe, and I’m just waiting for the water to recede,” he says at the end of the clip.

The office confirmed to the BBC that Sheriff Herrington was later rescued unharmed.

New Mexico affected by weekend rainfall and flooding

New Mexico was hit with record rainfall and flash flooding over the weekend, resulting in the death of a New Mexico National Guard and the rescue of 300 people.

Floodwaters entered homes and other buildings and swept cars off the streets, leaving some people waiting for rescue on the roofs of their homes or vehicles. Intense flooding and water-borne debris left several areas unsafe and inaccessible as of Wednesday, and residents are still advised to avoid driving on local streets if possible, officials said.

The city announced that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an emergency declaration for Roswell and Chaves counties on Monday, allocating $1 million in state funds for flood relief in Roswell and surrounding areas.