New York Daily News
(TNS)
At least three people were killed in the treacherous flood waters streaming through a mountain village in New Mexico, which also knocked an entire home from its foundations and then swept it away.
“We knew that we were going to have floods,” Ruidoso Mayor Lynn D. Crawford said during a radio address, “and this one hit us harder than what we were expecting.”
The Village of Ruidoso confirmed the fatalities in a statement late Tuesday night, after monsoon-like rains deluged the region and overwhelmed its waterways. The dead include two children, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, as well as a man in his 40s or 50s, officials said.
“Three people have tragically lost their lives as a result of the historic flash flooding that swept through the community on July 8, 2025,” the statement said. “The victims were swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters that struck the area.”
Another three people were hospitalized as result of the extreme weather, according to Kerry Gladden, public information officer for Ruidoso. They were all listed in stable condition.
By late Tuesday night, the floodwaters had begun to recede, clearing the way for search and rescue crews to scour the area, aid Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Two National Guard teams and several local teams were already in place to assist when the flooding began, Silva said, and more Guard teams were expected to arrive in the area.
So far, they have completed 85 swift water rescues, including of people trapped in their homes and vehicles.
Earlier in the day, officials urged residents to seek higher ground as heavy rainfall poured into the Rio Ruidoso, forcing its water to climb nearly 19 feet in just a matter of minutes. The National Weather Service had also issued flood warnings in the area, which was stripped of vegetation by recent wildfires. Preliminary measurements show the river crested at more than 20 feet — a record high if confirmed.
A weather service flood gauge and companion camera captured the moment the waters of the Rio Ruidoso churn over the river’s banks and into surrounding forest, prompting the closure of all nearby streets and bridge. Another clip shows an entire home being carried by the subsequent floodwaters as horrified onlookers cry out in distress.
“Homes starting to be moved by water,” the NWS warned.
With News Wire Services
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