The loss of three lives to flash flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso is “unfathomable and unfair,” New Mexico’s governor said Thursday, as surveys revealed

"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 confirmed three deaths as a result of severe flash flooding on July 8, 2025 along the burn scars from last summer's wild fires.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is providing an update on the response and recovery efforts being made in Ruidoso.

Survivors of the Ruidoso, New Mexico flash flood recount the horrors of the events that left three people dead and a community recovery.

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Severe flooding at Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino caused damage and panicked horses. Jockey Edwin Escobedo and friends helped rescue horses, leading them to higher ground. Trainers and staff worked together to shelter horses in unaffected barns.

The flash flood emergency was declared about 3 p.m. on Tuesday by the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.