Tragedy struck the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, as flash floods from intense rainfall killed at least three people — including two young children — and damaged dozens of homes. The village, still recovering from two devastating wildfires in 2024, now faces a new crisis.
During last year’s flash floods in New Mexico/The National Guard/Wikimedia Commons
A video posted to social media captured a harrowing scene on Tuesday: a house being carried away by the torrent of the Rio Ruidoso, swollen by record-breaking floods.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford confirmed during a Wednesday news briefing that the victims were a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and an unidentified man estimated to be between 40 and 50 years old.
The children, who were related, were not publicly identified “out of respect for their families,” Crawford said.
According to Ruidoso Police Chief Steven Minner, all three were reported missing from an RV park. Their remains were later discovered between a quarter mile and two miles downstream. One person remains unaccounted for, Minner added.
Three others were hospitalized in stable condition, officials said.
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Rescues and damage mount
First responders carried out approximately 65 swift-water rescues amid the chaos. “We had people in trees, we had people in the water, people just trapped in houses with water coming into them,” said Fire Chief Cade Hall. “You name it, we were having to address it.”
Emergency Manager Eric Queller said that early assessments indicate between 35 and 50 homes were damaged or destroyed.
Ruidoso, located about three hours southeast of Albuquerque, has faced consecutive years of climate-related disasters. In June 2024, the South Fork and Salt fires scorched much of Lincoln County, killing two people and destroying hundreds of homes.
Experts say that burn scars left behind from wildfires increase the risk of flash floods for years, as vegetation loss leads to unstable, erosion-prone soil.
Record-breaking flood levels
Officials said the Rio Ruidoso reached 20 feet — a full 5 feet higher than its previous record. CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan reported that one river gauge showed a staggering 19-foot water level rise in just 30 minutes.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch at 2:46 a.m. Tuesday for the South Central Mountains, with a flash flood warning later upgraded to a flash flood emergency around 2:42 p.m. for the South Fork burn scar area — an alert level that automatically triggers wireless emergency alerts.
Crawford explained that wireless emergency alerts were issued for specific zones starting at 1:58 p.m., but the town’s outdoor siren system wasn’t activated because it is reserved for full-scale evacuations.
“The localized nature of Tuesday’s flooding did not warrant the full-town evacuation,” he said.
Queller added that village officials also went door to door along the river to warn residents. “We had public works, we had fire, and we had police and parks and rec folks going along the Rio Ruidoso and evacuating communities as the wall of water was heading this way,” he said.
Community in shock
Kaitlyn Carpenter, a local resident and artist, captured one of the most striking flood videos: a turquoise-doored house floating downstream. It belonged to her best friend’s family, who, thankfully, were not inside at the time.
“I’ve been in that house and have memories in that house, so seeing it come down the river was just pretty heartbreaking,” Carpenter told the Associated Press. “I just couldn’t believe it.”
Last year, Carpenter’s art studio was destroyed in the floods.
State seeks federal help
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency Tuesday night to speed up federal response efforts. “New Mexico is mobilizing every resource we have, but Ruidoso needs federal support to recover from this disaster,” she said.
“We’ve watched Texas receive the federal resources they desperately needed, and Ruidoso deserves that same urgent response.”
With federal teams expected on the ground soon, Ruidoso begins yet another painful chapter of rebuilding—this time from flood, not fire.
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