Rio Ruidoso has experienced unprecedented flooding. Photo / rawsalerts via X
Rio Ruidoso has experienced unprecedented flooding. Photo / rawsalerts via X
A week of destructive flooding has continued across the United States, with record flash floods killing three people in the town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, and prompting water rescues in Chicago.
There have now been three deadly floods across the United States in less than a week.
The town ofRuidoso confirmed in a statement that a man and two children, ages 4 and 7, were swept downstream and “tragically lost their lives as a result of the historic flash flooding that swept through the community on July 8, 2025.” It added that search and rescue operations were continuing.
“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” the town’s mayor, Lynn Crawford, said in the statement. “The entire village of Ruidoso extends our deepest sympathy and compassion to these grieving families during this unimaginably difficult time.”
Kerry Gladden, a spokesperson for the town, said in a statement to The Washington Post that three other people were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition. Twenty people were relocated from a community centre shelter to a hotel.
The rain brought “truly unprecedented flooding” to the community, Crawford told reporters. The Ruidoso River crested at a historic high of 20 feet, which was five feet higher than last year’s record flood level, according to gauge data.
Video of the raging waters showed a single-story home careening downstream, striking trees along the way. Initial assessments indicate about 35 to 50 homes have been damaged or destroyed, although officials say it will take days to determine the complete damage. Responders are currently delivering water to those without it.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration request for federal teams and resources to respond to the situation. The mayor confirmed that federal and state officials have been activated and engaged in their recovery.
The flooding was triggered by approximately 3.5 inches of rain falling on a burn scar in about a 90-minute period, pushing water directly into the community, the mayor said. The burn scar was the result of wildfires that ravaged thousands of acres in the area last year, including the South Fork Fire.
Ruidoso also suffered significant damage to its racetrack, prompting race cancellations for this season. The industry usually brings in about $150 to $160 million each year to the local economy and employs hundreds of people.
Some local businesses have reopened Wednesday, but the mayor said visits to Ruidoso are discouraged for now, because of safety concerns.
Last year’s fires burned almost a thousand homes and killed two people. They also left Ruidoso and its population of almost 8000 particularly vulnerable to flash flooding, with the destruction of trees and shrubs and a change in the soil composition leaving the hillsides less able to absorb rain. Over the weeks that followed the fires, the scenic town, a popular summer retreat, was hit by multiple floods.
The forest wildfire last year left Ruidoso at a greater risk for flooding. Photo / Getty Images
The deaths in Ruidoso occurred days after devastating flash floods in Central Texas killed at least 109 people.
A post-analysis published this week found that the number of deaths in flash floods or river flooding has increased in recent years, with 145 flood-related deaths reported across the United States last year – well above the 25-year average of 85 such deaths per year.
The thunderstorm that caused the destruction this week formed in the same extremely moist air that has been anchored over south-central states from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which caused the deadly flooding in Texas.
An image of the devastating flash flood in Texas several days before, with multiple fatalities reported. Photo / Getty Images
Then, late Tuesday evening, a slow-moving thunderstorm complex formed over Chicago, dropping a radar-estimated 6 inches on the west side of town in a matter of hours.
According to reports sent to the National Weather Service, there were several water rescues as well as flooded basements, viaducts and roads.
For parts of Chicago, the downpour may have surpassed levels usually seen only once every 100 years, with more than 5 inches of rain falling in just 90 minutes.
Extremely moist air funnelling northward from the Gulf of Mexico, where temperatures are running warmer than average, was harnessed by a thunderstorm complex to cause the deluge. Weak winds in the middle atmosphere prevented the storm from quickly moving away, instead lingering over the city for hours.
Since last week, there have been more than 300 reports of flooding across the United States.
This week, areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to stretch from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic and the Great Lakes.
A slight or moderate risk (Level 2 or 3 out of 4) for excessive rainfall covers parts of the Carolinas, Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic, including DC, where vigorous and heavy afternoon thunderstorms are expected – fuelled by tropical moisture.
Places in central North Carolina hit by destructive flooding from Chantal face a risk for more flooding downpours in the days ahead.
There is also a risk for excessive rainfall in the Carolinas, Virginia and the central Plains.
