Just days after southern Texas was devastated by historic floods, southern New Mexico was hit with torrential flash floods that killed at least three people.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Ruidoso area of New Mexico was hit by torrential rain that caused the flash floods and prompted dozens of rescues in the area. Last year, this same area was devastated by two wildfires.
The three people killed were reportedly a man, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. The three victims were swept away downstream and later found dead, according to CBS.
On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson from the area reported that no one else is missing or unaccounted for.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released a statement Tuesday night saying that she “signed an emergency declaration request to get federal response teams and repair resources on the ground immediately.”
“We’re encouraged that additional federal resources are already on the way,” the statement continued, per CBS. “We’ve watched Texas receive the federal resources they desperately needed, and Ruidoso deserves that same urgent response.”
How the flooding happened
In this image taken from video, flash flooding is seen behind a house in Ruidoso, N.M., Tuesday, July 8, 2025. | Kaitlyn Carpenter
Tuesday’s rain caused the Rio Ruidoso, a river in Lincoln County, to rise to a record-breaking 20 feet, per CBS. That level is 5 feet higher than the previous high-water mark.
At one spot in the river, the water levels jumped almost 19 feet in just half an hour. The fast-moving waters were able to carry a house downstream.
The Associated Press reported that emergency crews made at least 85 swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area. This includes saving people who were trapped in their homes or cars.
By Tuesday night, the water had receded, allowing emergency crews to scour the town and public works crews to clear debris from the roadways.
When the flooding began, there were two National Guard rescue teams and multiple local emergency crews already in the area.
The area was left vulnerable after last year’s wildfires
The area devastated by Tuesday’s floods was especially vulnerable to flooding following two wildfires that scorched the area in summer 2024.
“The flash floods saturated an area reeling from wildfires last year. The fires scorched vegetation and soil that could have absorbed the water, instead leaving burn scars and debris that can cause swift and unpredictable floods,” per The Wall Street Journal.
The South Fork and Salt fires of 2024 destroyed around 1,400 homes and structures, per the AP. Later that summer, the area was also hit with floods.
“We know that the water levels seemed to be higher than they were last summer,” said Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, per the AP. “It is a significant amount of water flowing throughout, some of it in new areas that didn’t flood last year.”
