The mountain town of Ruidoso in the US state of New Mexico was hit by a devastating flash flood on Monday evening, July 8, 2025. A monsoon storm brought up to 9 centimeters (90 l/m2) of rain in less than an hour to the area, which is still affected by last year’s forest fires. The ground was unable to absorb the rainfall, which led to an extreme surge of water. The result is three victims, including two children, dozens of people rescued and extensive material damage.

The most tragic situation occurred at a campsite by the Rio Ruidoso River, where the swollen stream swept away caravans with people. The water carried away a forty-year-old man, a four-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy – all of whom were later found dead. Other people were trapped in flooded houses or vehicles. Rescuers made more than 85 trips, and the National Guard was also deployed to the operation.

The river reached a record height of six meters, and the current was so strong that it swept away an entire residential building. Fortunately, no one was in it at the time of the flood. Local authorities set up three emergency shelters and distributed food and drinking water. Several roads and bridges are still impassable.