Flash Floods Kill 3 in Ruidoso

RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO — A record-breaking flash flood swept through the New Mexico mountain village of Ruidoso on Tuesday, killing at least three people — a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a man believed to be in his 40s or 50s — authorities said.

The victims were “swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters,” according to a statement released by the village late Tuesday. Officials said it was unclear whether the three were related or how they were overtaken by the water.

The Rio Ruidoso surged to a historic 20.24 feet, eclipsing the previous record of 15.86 feet set last year. The flooding was triggered by intense monsoonal rains falling on burn scars left by the South Fork and Salt fires in 2024, which scorched over 17,000 acres.

Emergency crews carried out between 50 and 60 rescues in fast-moving waters on Tuesday, and search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing overnight. An unspecified number of people were hospitalized. 

“This one hit us harder than we were expecting,” Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said on local radio Tuesday night. He noted reports of mudslides, gas leaks and homes washed away. Multiple bridges were submerged, and more than two dozen swift-water rescues were confirmed.

The floods are the latest disaster to hit the village of 7,600 people in the Sierra Blanca mountains, which also endured severe flooding and wildfires last summer. Crawford said the extreme heat from the South Fork Fire left soil hydrophobic — unable to absorb water — worsening this year’s flooding.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration Tuesday night and requested federal assistance, calling the situation a “crisis” that demands immediate action.

In a Facebook post, officials urged anyone unable to reach loved ones to contact the village’s emergency operations center. Social media videos showed roads underwater and a house being swept into trees by the rushing Rio Ruidoso — a river Crawford said had previously been small enough “you could have jumped across it.”

The National Weather Service warned that hazardous heat, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, could complicate recovery efforts in the coming days.