Flash flooding from torrential rain hit Ruidoso, New Mexico, killing at least three people and prompting dozens of rescues, officials said. A house was seen being carried downstream on Tuesday by the fast-moving water, a year after the same area was devastated by two wildfires.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said during a press conference on Wednesday that the victims were a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and an unidentified man who was approximately 40-50 years old. Crawford did not release the children's identities, saying it was out of respect for their families.
Village officials said in a statement on Tuesday that the victims were swept downstream and later found dead. Ruidoso Police Chief Steven Minner said on Wednesday that authorities were trying to track down one person who was unaccounted for.
Three other people were taken to a hospital for treatment and were in stable condition, Crawford said.
Approximately 65 swift-water rescues were carried out during the flooding, the mayor said. Officials were monitoring weather conditions on Wednesday for additional threats.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement Tuesday night 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 Democrat said. "New Mexico is mobilizing every resource we have, but Ruidoso needs federal support to recover from this disaster. We've watched Texas receives the federal resources they desperately needed, and Ruidoso deserves that same urgent response.
The Rio Ruidoso, a river in Lincoln County, reached a record-breaking 20 feet — 5 feet higher than the previous high-water mark, the village said. CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan noted that at one river gauge, water levels rose almost 19 feet in just half an hour.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement Tuesday that the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the South Central Mountains, including Ruidoso, at 2:46 a.m. MT. That warning was to be in effect from noon until 8 p.m. local time, NOAA said. A flash flood warning was issued for the South Fork burn scar in Lincoln County, New Mexico, at 2:12 p.m., and included a "considerable" flooding tag, which NOAA said "automatically triggers a Wireless Emergency Alert to be issued for the warned area."
NOAA said the warning was upgraded to a flash flood emergency about 30 minutes later.
Crawford said Wednesday that an emergency alert warning people to get to higher ground was issued at 1:58 p.m. for one area, and another was issued for two other areas at 2:19 p.m. An outdoor warning system was not activated because it is reserved for full-town evacuations, the mayor said.
"The localized nature of yesterday's flooding did not warrant the full-town evacuation," Crawford said.
Emergency warnings have emerged as a point of contention in the Texas flash flooding.
A video posted A post on social media by Ruidoso resident Kaitlyn Carpenter shows fast-moving water carrying a home downriver. Another video shows floodwaters bringing a myriad of debris down a riverbank before reaching a small bridge and flooding the roadway.
Carpenter, whose art studio was swept away during a flood last year, told The Associated Press that she was riding her motorcycle through town on Tuesday afternoon when the storm intensified and she sought shelter at the riverside Downshift Brewing Company with dozens of other people. She began filming debris rushing down the Rio Ruidoso when she spotted a house floating by with a familiar turquoise door. It belonged to the family of one of her best friends.
Her friend's family was not in the house and is safe, she said.
"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 AP. "I just couldn't believe it."
The area around the Rio Ruidoso and much of Lincoln County were scorched last year by wildfires , making the soil unstable and more prone to flooding. Two people died in the South Fork and Salt fires, and hundreds of homes were destroyed in June 2024.
Wildfires can significantly change the landscape, including reducing vegetation — which decreases the number of plants and roots that hold soil in place. Burn scars increase flash flooding risks for at least two years, according to the federal Burned Area Emergency Response program , which assessed the damage.
