3 killed after flash floods strike New Mexico mountain village
Two of the victims were children
Two of the victims were children
Two of the victims were children
Three people have died after a flash flood raged through a mountain village in southern New Mexico that is a popular summer retreat after monsoon rains triggered flash flooding that was so intense an entire house was swept downstream, officials said.
Video above: House floats away in New Mexico flooding
In a statement released Tuesday night, Village of Ruidoso public information officer Kerry Gladden confirmed the deaths. The names of the victims have not been released, but the statement said the fatalities include:
- A 40 to 50-year-old male
- A 4-year-old female
- A 7-year-old-male
According to the statement, all three victims got caught up in rushing floodwaters and were carried downstream. The Rio Ruidoso rose to a record-breaking 20 feet and emergency crews conducted at least 50 swift-water rescues during the flooding event.
"Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy," said Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford. "We are united in our sorrow and our commitment to supporting one another as we face this devastating loss together."
Emergency crews carried out at least 85 swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area, including people who were trapped in their homes and cars, said Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The water had receded by Tuesday night and rescue teams were scouring the town for the missing people, while public works crews cleared debris from the roadways. Some cars were left stranded in the mud.
Two National Guard rescue teams and several local teams already were in the area when the flooding began, Silva said, and more Guard teams were expected.
The floods came just days after flash floods in Texas killed over 100 people and left more than 160 people missing.
In New Mexico, officials urged residents to seek higher ground Tuesday afternoon as the waters of the Rio Ruidoso rose nearly 19 feet in a matter of minutes amid heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in the area, which was stripped of vegetation by recent wildfires.
A weather service flood gauge and companion video camera showed churning waters of the Rio Ruidoso surge over the river’s banks into surrounding forest. Streets and bridges were closed in response.
Kaitlyn Carpenter, an artist in Ruidoso, was riding her motorcycle through town Tuesday afternoon when the storm started to pick up, and she sought shelter at the riverside Downshift Brewing Company with about 50 other people. She started to film debris rushing down the Rio Ruidoso when she spotted a house float 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 said. “I just couldn’t believe it.”
During a radio address Tuesday night, Ruidoso Mayor Lynn D. Crawford encouraged residents to call an emergency line if their loved ones or neighbors were missing. He also said there were reports of dead horses near the town’s horse racing track
“We knew that we were going to have floods ... and this one hit us harder than what we were expecting,” Ruidoso Mayor Lynn D. Crawford said.
The area has been especially vulnerable to flooding since the summer of 2024, when the South Fork and Salt fires raced across tinder-dry forest and destroyed an estimated 1,400 homes and structures. Residents were forced to flee a wall of flames, only to grapple with intense flooding later that summer.
“We know that the water levels seemed to be higher than they were last summer,” Silva said. “It is a significant amount of water flowing throughout, some of it in new areas that didn’t flood last year.”
Preliminary measurements show the Rio Ruidoso crested at more than 20 feet — a record high if confirmed — and was receding Tuesday evening.
Three shelters opened in the Ruidoso area for people who could not return home.
Cory State, who works at the Downshift Brewing Company, welcomed in dozens of residents as the river surged and hail pelted the windows. The house floating by was “just one of the many devastating things about today,” he said.
The sight brought back painful memories for Carpenter, whose art studio was swept away during a flood last year. Outside, the air smelled of gasoline, and loud crashes could be heard as the river knocked down trees in its path.
“It’s pretty terrifying,” she said.