New Mexico town is hit with flash floods for the third time this month

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Ruidoso, New Mexico, a mountain town located about 180 miles southeast of Albuquerque, has been hit hard by flash flooding for the third time in less than a month. Heavy rainfall inundated the area on Thursday, July 24, causing road closures, widespread damage and water rescues.

The town is susceptible to mudslides and increased runoff following two large fires that scorched swathes of land, known as “burn scars,” in 2024.

Ruidoso officials warned on Thursday that “this is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.”

The area forecast from the weather service on Friday night called for calmer weather, with mostly clear skies, gentle wind and a low around 58. Saturday’s prediction calls for isolated showers and thunderstorms after noon, followed by mostly sunny weather with a high near 84 and a 20% chance of precipitation. More scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible on Sunday and throughout the upcoming week.

Video shows destructive flood in New Mexico

The video filmed by Lindsey Tharpe shows a mobile home being carried away by rapid floodwaters, knocking over a tree in the process.

“I captured a trailer home breaking apart and washing away from my back porch,” Tharpe told Storyful.

Watch mobile home swept away by New Mexico floodwaters

Video caught the moments as a mobile home was swept away by dangerous floodwaters in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

According to the National Weather Service, a stretch of the Rio Ruidoso at one point rose to about 12.5 feet as a result of the flooding on Thursday.

Previous flash flooding in New Mexico claimed lives

On Tuesday July 8, flash flooding in Ruidoso claimed the lives of at least three people, including two children. The state’s governor declared a state of emergency in the area.

In a statement from the village of Ruidoso, emergency management said all three people were “caught in the rushing floodwaters and carried downstream” during a flooding event that saw the Rio Ruidoso rise to a record-breaking 20 feet – five feet higher than the previous record.

The statement said the fatalities included one middle-aged man and two children – a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, USA TODAY previously reported.

CONTRIBUTING: Gabe Hauari, Natassia Paloma, USA TODAY NETWORK

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