Flash Flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico, Sweeps Homes Away and Forces Rescues

Heavy rain in southern New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon caused catastrophic flash flooding, sweeping homes away and forcing water rescues and closing roads, officials said.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for the area around the village of Ruidoso, which was scarred by wildfires last year.

There were no immediate reports of deaths, Kerry Gladden, a spokeswoman for the village of Ruidoso, said on late Tuesday afternoon.

Three people had been admitted into the hospital and were in stable condition as of Tuesday evening, a spokeswoman at the Presbyterian Lincoln County Medical Center said.

Emergency responders rescued people from swiftly moving water and those trapped in their homes. She said it was unclear how many rescues there had been.

“A DANGEROUS situation is unfolding in RUIDOSO!” the National Weather Service said in a statement on social media. “A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY remains in effect! Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW! Do NOT attempt to drive through the floodwaters. The current will carry away your vehicle!”

The extent of damage was not immediately clear, Ms. Gladden said. The areas along the Rio Ruidoso extending into Ruidoso Downs and Glencoe were among the hardest hit places, she said.

Jennifer Shoemake, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said that more than 2.5 inches had fallen in the area where the South Fork fire ripped through last year.

Preliminary data from a flood sensor operated by the United States Geological Survey showed the Rio Ruidoso at one of the gauges at Ruidoso, N.M., rose from about one and a half feet at 3 p.m. local time to more than 20 feet less than an hour later. The height began dropping again soon after.

Michael Scales, spokesman for the Lincoln County office of emergency services, said there were a couple of water rescues underway on Tuesday but did not provide any details.

“It’s all hands on deck,” he said.

Ruidoso’s tourism office posted on social media that “our community is currently experiencing seasonal monsoon rains that have led to flash flooding in some areas.”

The South Fork fire, which started on June 17, 2024, razed 17,066 acres. Officials determined that lightning had caused the fire.

This is a developing story.