New Mexico flooding has turned a small mountain town upside down. July 8, 2025 a flash flood emergency hit this community already battered by deadly wildfires last year. I’m pulling this from NBC News and trust me the details are intense. Let’s get into it.
Picture Ruidoso a quiet town of about 7,800 people nestled in the mountains 3 hours south of Albuquerque. Tuesday afternoon monsoon rains poured down and dropped 1.5 to 3.5 inches of water in a few hours. The Rio Ruidoso a small stream you could hop across swelled to a record 20.24 feet. Roads became rivers, homes were swept away and people were trapped. This wasn’t just rain it was a disaster.
The floods hit hardest because of the burn scars from the 2024 wildfires. Those fires killed 2 people and burned hundreds of homes leaving the soil unable to absorb water. When the rain came it just slid right off carrying mud, rocks and debris. Videos online show a house crashing into trees as the river dragged it away. It’s the kind of thing that gives you chills.
Emergency crews jumped into action rescuing over 30 people from cars and homes. But not everyone is safe yet. 3 people are missing including a father and 2 kids reportedly swept away in Hollywood, New Mexico. Rescue teams are searching but as of Tuesday night there is no word on their status. It’s a gut punch for this tight knit town.
The damage is bad. Bridges are underwater, roads are closed and power is out in parts of Ruidoso. The Ruidoso Downs racetrack a big deal in town got hit hard. The west end is destroyed and there’s worry about horses stuck in flooded stables. People are trying to save them before the weekend’s races but it’s a mess.
Read Also: Shocking Bodycam Footage: Olympic Legend Mary Lou Retton’s DUI Arrest Revealed!
The houses and gas leaks are what makes this even worse. The flood just wiped out some homes. The National Weather Service called it a “dangerous situation” and told people to get to higher ground immediately. They even posted warnings to stay away from the river. That warning was before the flood and it was urgent.
The Weather Service issued a flood watch for Ruidoso on Tuesday morning after thunderstorms on Monday night. The rain got bad by 3:00 PM. The flooding was made worse by the South Fork Burn Scar, a reminder of last year’s fires. It’s like the land was designed to fail.
According to Lynn Crawford, the mayor of Ruidoso, this was a “catastrophic” setback. The town is still recovering from the wildfires and then this. They want President Trump to declare federal disaster so they can rebuild. People who lost their homes are staying in a community center even though there’s no official evacuation order. A little community is in a big mess. This isn’t the first time Ruidoso has flooded. The nearby town of Roswell flooded last October and killed two and almost 300 people were rescued. Ruidoso was hit last July too.
This town is starting to feel like it’s always having bad luck. According to experts these disasters are related to underlying problems. Wildfires remove the ground cover and increase the risk of flooding during monsoon season which is from end of June to beginning of September. These storms are getting more powerful and more frequent because of climate change.
The perfect example of what happens when fire and rain mix is Ruidoso. And the best part is the weather forecast is calling for dry weather for the rest of the week. That gives Ruidoso a break and time to clean up. But for now the priority is finding the missing people and assessing the damage. This town has a long way to go.
