Last year, the remote village of Ruidoso had to contend with raging forest fires; now, they’re dealing with a flash flood that has almost wiped away the entire town.

As reported by NBC News, catastrophic flooding caused the nearby Rio Ruidoso to rise to a record-breaking 20 feet. Consequently, three people have passed away after being swept downstream, and search and rescue missions for others are still underway.

Flash floods in a mountain village in southern New Mexico, US, were so intense that an entire house swept downstream. pic.twitter.com/P5XUIZOQAS

— DW News (@dwnews) July 9, 2025