RUIDOSO, N.M. – The mountain community of Ruidoso, New Mexico, is grappling with the devastating aftermath of a flash flood that claimed three lives and inflicted significant damage on dozens of homes. Broken tree limbs, twisted metal, crumpled vehicles, and thick mud paint a grim picture as recovery efforts continue.
The disaster struck on Tuesday following an intense period of monsoon rains. A surge of water cascaded down the mountainside, overwhelming the Rio Ruidoso and sweeping away a man and two children from an RV park situated along the riverbank. Search and rescue teams later recovered their bodies downstream.
The two children, a four-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, were camping with their parents when the floodwaters struck. The children’s parents are currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the flood at a hospital in Texas. The father is stationed at Fort Bliss.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford expressed the community’s collective grief and concern as residents assess the extent of the damage.
A Community Familiar with Tragedy
Ruidoso, a popular summer destination, is unfortunately no stranger to adversity. The community has spent the past year recovering from destructive wildfires that occurred last summer, followed by subsequent flooding. The rainfall experienced on Tuesday exceeded the capacity of the hillsides and canyons within the burn scar to absorb the water.
Barbara Arthur, the owner of Riverside RV Park, recounted how she and her guests scrambled up a nearby slope as the river began to inundate the site on Tuesday afternoon. She noted that this was the sixth time the river had risen in recent weeks, but by far the most severe.
Arthur’s house was destroyed, along with a nearby rental property she owns. The floodwaters also swept away three trailers within the RV park. The destruction surpasses the damage she experienced during last year’s flooding, leaving her uncertain about her ability to recover.
“We’re just trying to recover from last year and man here we go again,” she lamented. “It’s going to be a long road, and I have no doubt that, you know, everybody’s going to pull together and get it done. But I may not be one of them.”
Record-Breaking Water Levels
Authorities urged residents to seek higher ground as the Rio Ruidoso surged to over 20 feet (6 meters), according to preliminary data from a U.S. Geological Survey gauge. This level exceeded the previous high recorded the year before by nearly 5 feet (1.52 meters).
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings throughout Tuesday, escalating to an emergency notification at 2:47 p.m. The majority of the rainfall occurred between approximately 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
“We received three and a half inches of rain on the South Fork burn scar in about a 90-minute period. That water came directly into our community and impacted the community head on,” Mayor Crawford explained during a press conference.
Even a small amount of rainfall, as little as a quarter of an inch, can trigger flooding in areas affected by wildfires.
Todd Shoemake, a meteorologist for the weather service in Albuquerque, noted that “they were probably already getting some runoff from upstream before it even actually started raining on top of the wildfire burn scar.” He described the event as “a terrible coincidence of events.”
While the amount of rainfall may not have been unprecedented, Shoemake likened it to a 100-year storm, indicating a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.
Cleanup Operations Underway
Emergency crews conducted numerous swift water rescues before the floodwaters receded on Tuesday. Two National Guard teams and several local crews were already present in the area when the flooding began.
Several roads remained closed on Wednesday, and the mayor indicated that restoring utilities to some neighborhoods would take time. The floodwaters fractured village water lines, infiltrated the sewer system, and caused significant damage to as many as 50 homes, with one house being completely carried away.
Along the river, metal debris was entangled in trees, while broken branches were lodged against homes and intertwined among the remaining Ponderosa pines along the banks. The river, now reduced to a trickle compared to the previous day, was heavily laden with sediment.
Shelters were opened on Wednesday, and food banks distributed supplies. Village officials encouraged residents to contact an emergency line if their loved ones or neighbors were missing or affected by the flood.
These floods occurred shortly after flash floods in Texas resulted in over 100 fatalities and left more than 160 people missing.
Preparing for Future Challenges
Local officials stated that the village was still in the process of replacing outdoor warning sirens that were destroyed by last year’s wildfire and reassessing risks along the local flood plain in cooperation with federal authorities when the flood hit.
Mayor Crawford emphasized that Ruidoso will remain vulnerable with each monsoon season as the community continues to recover from the wildfire. The rainy season typically begins in June and lasts through September.
Over the past year, efforts have been made to mitigate flood risks and aid watershed recovery, including the removal of hazardous trees, the construction of erosion control barriers, and mulching and seeding projects.
The mayor acknowledged that some of these measures helped protect homes on Tuesday, but other areas remain vulnerable. Ruidoso Emergency Manager Eric Quellar stated that emergency crews were also working to clear debris, including displaced houses, that could worsen any future flooding.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has requested a presidential disaster declaration, citing over $50 million in emergency response expenditures, including water rescues, and damage to public infrastructure such as bridges and roadways that have been washed out. This estimate encompasses flood damage in Ruidoso and other areas affected by monsoon rainstorms since late June.
The village’s tourism-based economy has also been disrupted once again. The floodwaters impacted Ruidoso Downs, leading to the cancellation of one of the horse track’s signature races, which was scheduled to begin on Friday.
The mayor acknowledged the anxiety within the community, as the monsoon season is expected to bring more rain throughout the summer.
“Yesterday was a good lesson — you know that Mother Nature is a much bigger powerful force than we are,” he stated. “And that we can do a lot of things to protect ourselves and to try to help direct and whatever, but we cannot control.”