"The main reason was the South Fork Fire last year that burned directly west of Ruidoso," Grzywacz said. "The soil wasn't able to absorb any of the rainfall, and it runs right down into Ruidoso. Normally, if you had that vegetation still there, it could absorb it. For the Ruidoso monsoon season, it was above average rain but not record rainfall."

The village of Ruidoso is located in the southern part of New Mexico and is a noted vacation spot boasting camping and recreation amid its expansive forest landscape. World Population Review notes the village rose to a total of 7,600 in 2025. That was a decrease of the population by less than 1% in recent years.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood emergency for Ruidoso on Tuesday, warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions and rising river levels

The 7-year-old and 4-year-old who died after flash flooding overtook a village in New Mexico earlier this week have been identified as Sebastian and Charlotte Trotter, the children of a U.S. army soldier,

The flash flooding that hit the US state on Tuesday killed three people, including a 4-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy.

Footage from a camera operated by the U.S. Geological Survey shows a timelapse of just how fast New Mexico's Rio Ruidoso rose, causing flash flooding.

Monsoon rains over burn scar areas from last year's fires caused devastating flash floods in New Mexico, killing three people and prompting water rescues.