Disaster struck New Mexico, on Tuesday after a ferocious monsoon storm unleashed a catastrophic flash floods, killing at least three people—including two young children—and forcing dozens more to be rescued from homes and vehicles inundated by surging waters.
The Rio Ruidoso, usually a scenic river that winds through the popular tourist destination, turned into a deadly torrent after the skies opened up with little warning. The water rose an astonishing 19 feet in just minutes, swallowing roads, homes, and even vehicles in its path. Emergency officials described the chaos as “sudden and overwhelming.”
The Village of Ruidoso confirmed the deaths of a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and a man in his 40s, as first reported by AOL News. One home was reportedly ripped off its foundation and swept downstream like a toy in the floodwater.
🚨 BREAKING: A MASSIVE flooding event is unfolding right now in Ruidoso, New Mexico
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 8, 2025
A large structure can be seen being swept down the river
The water level has risen 20 FEET in a matter of 30 minutes, shattering previous records, per @MaxVelocityWX
Pray for these folks 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/zusPXT2MCP
“This was worse than we expected—far worse,” said Mayor Lynn D. Crawford during an emergency broadcast Tuesday evening. “We’ve been through fire. We’ve been through flood. But this one came fast, and it caught us off guard.”
Emergency crews, including the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, carried out at least 85 swift-water rescues, many involving people stranded inside homes and vehicles as floodwaters tore through the heart of the village. Three people remain hospitalized in stable condition, officials said.
Photos and video from the ground show roads choked with boulders, mud, and twisted metal. Vehicles lay crumpled and half-submerged in sludge.
Aerial footage reveals vast stretches of terrain under murky brown water, with debris scattered for miles. Stranded residents and tourists huddled in makeshift shelters, many of them just beginning to recover from last year’s devastating wildfires.
Those 2024 fires—the South Fork and Salt fires—left massive burn scars on surrounding hillsides, removing critical vegetation that would normally slow or absorb rainfall. That left the area exposed to exactly the kind of flash flooding that hit Tuesday.
“This was a perfect storm,” explained meteorologist Matt DeMaria with the National Weather Service. “You had intense rainfall over land already weakened by fire. That means no absorption—just runoff—and it all poured into the Rio Ruidoso at once.”
According to DeMaria, the river likely hit a record crest of over 20 feet, and new rainfall expected later this week could bring more danger. The National Guard has already deployed two rescue teams to the area and plans to send more if conditions worsen.
Spokesperson Danielle Silva from Homeland Security emphasized the ongoing threat: “This water moved through places that never flooded before. The burn scars changed the flow paths, and we’re seeing the consequences of that now.”
In the aftermath, three emergency shelters have been opened for displaced residents, many of whom are still reeling from last year’s destruction. More than 1,400 homes and buildings were lost in the 2024 wildfire season, and many of the same neighborhoods were hit again by Tuesday’s flood.
Adding to the heartbreak, Mayor Crawford reported that several horses were found dead near the local racetrack, a somber reminder of the widespread devastation that has affected both people and animals in the region.
“This is a community that refuses to quit,” Crawford said. “We got hit hard last summer. And we’re being tested again now. But we’re not going anywhere. We will rebuild, we will recover—together.”
Officials are urging residents to stay vigilant, keep away from low-lying areas, and report missing persons or structural damage to emergency services. With further storms forecast in the coming days, the recovery effort is just beginning.