A devastating flash flood turned deadly in the Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, this week, claiming the lives of a man and two young children and leaving a community reeling. Local officials confirmed that the victims — a man in his 40s or 50s, a 4-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old boy — were swept away as historic floodwaters swallowed parts of the mountain village.
“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” said Mayor Lynn Crawford in a statement on Wednesday.
The record-breaking flood struck after heavy monsoonal rains pounded burn scar areas from last year’s South Fork and Salt fires, sending walls of water barreling down hillsides into the Rio Ruidoso. The river rose to an astonishing 20.24 feet, smashing the old record by over five feet and giving residents little time to escape.
In a scene that captured the nightmare unfolding, a horrifying video shared online shows an entire house ripped from its foundation and swept downstream like a toy boat. The structure crashes through trees and debris as raging waters consume everything in their path — a stark reminder of nature’s brute force.
Emergency crews rushed to save lives as rising waters and crumbling roads inundated the village. More than 50 people were rescued. The deadly flooding highlights the hidden danger burn scars pose when heavy monsoon rain strikes — a reality communities across the West are bracing for as extreme weather events grow more common.
