Unable to leave, park visitors took shelter in the visitor center for nearly nine hours, CNN affiliate KOAT reported. Park officials allowed people to leave shortly before midnight, according to the CAO. “Carlsbad Caverns National Park is being evacuated and will be CLOSED until further notice,” said a Saturday night social media post from city government. “120-160 people secured in place.” Carlsbad Caverns is a World Heritage Site that includes more than 119 limestone caves, according to the National Park Service. Monica Cardoza and her family were visiting the caves on what was supposed to be a day trip from El Paso, Texas, when rangers approached and told them to evacuate as the storm worsened. They were allowed to leave the visitor center around 11:30 p.m., said her husband, Richard Cardoza. He also described a dangerous drive out of the park. “There were three or four places that, if they hadn’t accompanied us, I wouldn’t have passed,” he said. “It was scary and we thought, ‘Oh my God, are we ever going to get out of here?’” Monica Cardoza told CNN. “But thank God, we’re safe.” The visitor center and cave remained closed Sunday as maintenance crews worked to assess and clear debris from the roadway, according to the National Park Service. Nearly 10 million people across New Mexico, Arizona and west Texas were under flooding Saturday. On Friday, in Utah’s Zion National Park, rangers were alerted to hikers who had been “swept off their feet” and found an injured hiker who had been pulled into the current. several hundred yards.’ CNN’s Nouran Salahieh, Allison Chinchar and Haley Brink contributed to this report.
