A grieving mother has described the terrifying final moments she spent clinging to her children before deadly flash floods swept them away in Ruidoso, New Mexico. "We tried so hard to save our babies," Stephanie Trotter wrote in an emotional statement ...

The village of Ruidoso is located in the southern part of New Mexico and is a noted vacation spot boasting camping and recreation amid its expansive forest landscape. World Population Review notes the village rose to a total of 7,600 in 2025. That was a decrease of the population by less than 1% in recent years.

The children, ages four and seven, were swept downstream by a flash flood after the Rio Ruidoso river rose to a record-setting 20 feet.

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

In the Midwest, quarter-sized hail and an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, while in the South, flood alerts are in effect for areas that were devastated by flash floods last week.

The Red Cross is sending several volunteers from Tucson to help those in need in Ruidoso, New Mexico, following destructive flooding.

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