Lakewood flood evacuees ponder future

CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE) - The rain has stopped in southeastern New Mexico, but officials and residents are still dealing with the most dangerous flooding they've seen in years. It's been nearly 24 hours since Lakewood residents were airlifted to safety from their flooded homes. For now there's still no telling when they'll get to go back. "They were just trying to get us out by the helicopter, but now we can't go back," an evacuee who identified himself only as cowboy said. "In fact we can't even live there for awhile." More than 70 residents from an RV park in Lakewood were evacuated and transported to an American Red Cross shelter in Carlsbad. "We were trapped," resident Anthony Simmonds-Amari said. "The water was filling it up. "I'm happy to be here. We will go back when we go back." Simmonds-Amari, a resident of Lakewood for more than 20 years, says he watched as flood water swallowed his home Thursday. The area is still off limits...more