The heavy rain came after severe flooding in the area killed three people and damaged dozens of homes on July 8.

An ABC-7 crew spent the day in Ruidoso to cover the flooding. Our crew spoke to residents who witnessed the worst of the flooding. "It was scary, it was scary," said Lindsey Tharpe, who recorded a video of her neighbor's house floating away behind her backyard along Cedar Creek in Ruidoso.

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:

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

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.