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.

At least three people, including two children, have died due to flash flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico on Tuesday, July 8.

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

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

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency for the village of Ruidoso, in an area that was scarred by wildfires last year.

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.

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

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: