"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."

At least 200 homes were damaged during a deadly flash flood in the mountain village of Ruidoso, and local emergency managers warned Wednesday that number could more than double as teams survey more neighborhoods.

At least three people died, including two children, after heavy rains triggered flash floods in New Mexico on Tuesday.

As residents and businesspeople in Ruidoso assess the damage caused by heavy and dangerous flooding, others can find ways to help. Here is what to know.

The two children were identified as Charlotte Trotter, 4, and Sebastian Trotter, 7, according to their aunt Tiffanie Wyatt. She said their father, Sebastian Trotter, a solder based at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and their mother, Stephanie, both suffered serious injuries but survived and were receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Texas.

The summer rainy season in New Mexico usually brings daily alerts about the potential for flooding around the arid state.

A man, a 4-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy were swept away Tuesday by floodwaters, the village of Ruidoso said in a statement.

A Flash Flood Emergency is in effect for Ruidoso, New Mexico, as rapid rainfall rates cause flooding in burn scars from the South Fork Fire.

There will be no more horse races at Ruidoso Downs for 2025, after flood waters ravaged the race track for the second year in a row.

The current map, as of Wednesday, July 9, of road closures by the Ruidoso All-Hazard Information Network, provided by the Ruidoso Office of Emergency Management, notes that many roads are washed out as a result of the rainfall. They include: