Three people were killed in a mountain community in southern New Mexico that is a favorite summer resort when monsoon rains caused flash flooding so powerful that an entire house was washed downstream, officials said.
Floodwaters washed away a man and two children on Tuesday, according to a statement from the hamlet of Ruidoso.
According to Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, emergency crews conducted at least 85 swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area, including those of persons stuck in their homes and cars.
The water had retreated by Tuesday night, and search and rescue and swift water rescue teams were combing the town for missing people, while public works staff cleaned debris from the roads. Some cars were left trapped in muck.
According to Silva, two National Guard rescue teams and numerous local teams were already in the area when the floods began, with more Guard teams coming.
The flooding occurred just days after flash floods in Texas killed over 100 people and left more than 160 missing.
In New Mexico, officials urged residents to seek higher ground Tuesday afternoon as the waters of the Rio Ruidoso rose nearly 19 feet (2.7 meters) in a matter of minutes amid heavy rainfall.
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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.
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
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.
Matt DeMaria, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said storms formed in the early afternoon over terrain that was scorched last year by wildfire.
The burn scar was unable to absorb a lot of the rain, as water quickly ran downhill into the river.
Preliminary measurements show the Rio Ruidoso crested at more than 20 feet (6 meters) — a record high if confirmed — and was receding Tuesday evening.
Three shelters opened in the Ruidoso area for people who could not return home.
