A sudden and powerful flash flood hit the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind widespread damage and prompting urgent warnings from authorities. Shocking videos shared online show houses, trailers, and debris being carried away by raging floodwaters.

The National Weather Service (NWS) declared a flash flood emergency, the most serious alert of its kind, after heavy rains fell on wildfire burn scars in the area. Within just an hour, the Rio Ruidoso river swelled dramatically, with water levels reportedly reaching over 20 feet in some areas—potentially a record crest.

Rescue operations are underway, particularly at Gavilan Trailer Park, where multiple residents were trapped. Local officials confirmed that at least three people are currently missing, and several injuries have been reported, although details remain unclear.

Flash Flood Emergency in Ruidoso, New Mexico:

Heavy rain Tuesday sent water rushing through burn scar areas, flooding homes and roads in a town still recovering from wildfires. pic.twitter.com/x1NQx4yiGx — AccuWeather (@accuweather) July 9, 2025

Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford urged residents to stay indoors and avoid flooded areas. “If you’re safe where you are, stay there. This is a dangerous situation,” he said.

The Office of Emergency Management also warned people living near the river to evacuate immediately and avoid driving through floodwaters. “Do not underestimate the current. Just a few inches of moving water can carry a vehicle away,” officials said.

Images and videos shared by both residents and the National Weather Service show the extent of the destruction. One clip shows a house collapsing and being pulled downriver, while another captures debris smashing into a small bridge before submerging nearby roads. Gas leaks have also been reported as floodwaters damaged infrastructure across the area.

Dozens of roads have been closed, and cleanup efforts are already underway. The official Facebook page of the village has been posting regular updates and safety warnings as the situation unfolds.

The flooding was triggered by around an inch of rain falling over burn scars from last year’s wildfires—areas where vegetation had been destroyed, making the land more vulnerable to runoff and erosion.

As of now, a flash flood warning remains in effect for Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, and Hollywood, New Mexico, until further notice.

Emergency services are continuing search and rescue efforts, and residents are being asked to stay informed, stay indoors if safe, and avoid all flood-affected areas.

A BRAVE teenager saved her entire family after their van plunged off a washed-out bridge and into deadly floodwaters.

The 17-year-old managed to pull open a car door and help her parents and siblings escape, but got caught in the current before she could reach the shore herself.

Malaya Hammond died saving her family after their van plunged off a washed-out bridge into raging floodwaters Credit: KVUE

She helped her parents and siblings escape but was swept away by the current before reaching shore Credit: KVUE

It was pitch dark and pouring rain when their van unknowingly drove over Cow Creek Bridge Credit: KVUE

The heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Marble Falls, Texas, early Saturday morning as Malaya Hammond and her family were heading to a Christian summer camp.

It was pitch dark and pouring rain when their van unknowingly drove over Cow Creek Bridge, which had just collapsed in the storm.

Close family friend Mikki Willis said the vehicle plummeted into raging floodwaters below, setting off a frantic fight for survival.

“It was Malaya who was the one that was able to get a car door open,” Willis told FOX affiliate KVUE.

Willis said that all of them got out of the car and were heading to the shore.

“Malaya got stuck in a current and was pulled away from her family.”

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Hammond was later found dead after a three-day search involving family, volunteers, and a chartered boat.

“She was an incredible role model for her siblings,” Willis said.

“The parents are amazing, but Malaya also set the standard as the oldest.”

The family went into the river to say goodbye and “make peace with the water” after her body was recovered on Monday.

“They gave thanks that they had found her and that they have closure,” Willis added.

The family also witnessed a double rainbow in the sky after her body was found.

Donald Trump’s statement on Texas floods

“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday.

“Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.

“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.

“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”

“She loved rainbows and later, they felt that that was her saying, you know, ‘I’m with God now, and I love you,’” said Willis’ wife Nadia Salamanca.

The Hammonds had been en route to Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp nestled by the Guadalupe River, when disaster struck.

The camp was hit particularly hard by the flooding, with almost 30 campers and staff confirmed dead and at least 10 still missing.

The Hammonds’ story is just one of many heartbreaking tragedies to emerge from the catastrophic flooding across Central Texas.

Hammond was found dead after a three-day search involving family, volunteers, and a chartered boat Credit: KVUE

The family went into the river to say goodbye after her body was recovered Credit: KVUE

OVER 100 DEAD

At least 120 people have been confirmed dead in the wake of the catastrophic floods in Texas, with 95 found in Kerr County alone, including young campers and counselors.

The river swelled by 40 feet overnight, swallowing cabins and crushing buildings in its path.

One of the hardest-hit areas was Bubble Inn, home to the camp’s youngest girls, aged 8 and 9.

All 14 girls and their counselors in the Bubble Inn cabin are either dead or missing.

Camp director Dick Eastland also died trying to save them.

Aerial and satellite images show the scale of the destruction, with overturned trunks, mangled structures, and gray, mud-coated grounds replacing the once-green camp.

Officials say at least 150 people remain missing in Kerr County, and hopes are fading with each passing day.

WASHINGTON’S RESPONSE

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania are scheduled to visit the area on Friday to view the devastation.

Questions are mounting over why evacuations weren’t ordered before the storms hit, and whether budget cuts had ultimately hurt emergency response efforts.

Critics say federal staffing cuts slowed alerts from the National Weather Service, a claim the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vehemently referred to as a “depraved lie.”

A FEMA task force has set up operations in Center Point, using helicopters, boats, and cadaver dogs to search the debris.

Texas lawmakers are now planning a special session to address flood warnings, communication systems, and aid.

In the meantime, a fundraiser has been launched to help the Hammonds replace their car, belongings, and pay for Malaya’s funeral.

“If the Hammond family knew people were coming back together in her name, that would be the greatest gift,” Willis said.

At least 120 people have been confirmed dead, with 95 found in Kerr County alone Credit: Getty

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – A 60-year-old woman weathered Thursday’s early morning flash floods as she clung to a tree after she was swept away from a nearby campsite.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department says that just after 4 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, emergency crews were called to the area of State Ave. and 65th St. with reports of a woman trapped in floodwaters.

Dispatchers said a caller told them his 60-year-old girlfriend had been swept away by the raging waters from a nearby campsite.

KCKFD indicated that multiple rescue crews – including water rescue teams and a live-find canine unit – were sent to the area. They found the woman clinging to a tree in the water.

Crews said the woman held onto the tree until the water receded and she could crawl out of the ravine and walk back to a nearby trailer park. She made it safely back to her boyfriend by 7:30 a.m.

Paramedics noted that the woman sustained minor scrapes to her arms; however, she declined treatment or transportation to a nearby hospital.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least five cars ended up trapped in flash flooding near 23rd Street and Television Place on July 17, 2025. (KCTV5)

This was not the only water rescue KCKFD crews were called to early Thursday morning, as heavy rain and flash floods slammed the Kansas City metro. By 8 a.m., crews had responded to nearly 2 dozen similar calls.

Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.

Eads was camping with her husband Brian in the Hill Country when the waters came rushing in.

Brian told the New York Times, he and his wife were swept out of a truck by the water when he was hit in the head by the debris and lost track of her.

Pictured: Eads was camping with her husband Brian in the Hill Country when the waters came rushing in. The couple were swept out of a truck by the water when he was hit in the head by the debris and lost track of her

‘Dr. Eads was an extraordinary educator whose devotion to her students and to the craft of teaching embodied the very best of our academic community,’ Heather Shipley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said.

‘Through her insight, expertise and unwavering commitment to student success, she inspired generations of learners and colleagues alike. Her absence leaves a profound void at UTSA, but her impact will continue to resonate through the lives she touched.’

Six employees died after catastrophic flooding from Helene. DA Steven Finney said no charges will be filed after the TBI investigation.

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ERWIN, Tenn. — Impact Plastics was cleared of criminal wrongdoing following a state-led investigation a little less than a year after six of its employees died after being swept away by raging floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, District Attorney General Steven Finney announced Friday.

Finney said he had reviewed the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s findings and determined no criminal charges would be filed against the company or its CEO, Gerald O’Connor.

“Based upon the investigation which concluded that no criminal wrongdoing occurred by Gerald O’Connor or any other supervisor or employee at Impact Plastics, the case is closed, and no further action will be taken,” Finney said.

The DA said the TBI’s investigation gathered video evidence from a nearby business, Nuclear Fuel Services, as well as other sources showing the catastrophic flooding at the industrial park on Sept. 27, 2024. In the video, Finney said it was clear that O’Connor and management dismissed employees at 10:51 a.m. that day, which was a little over an hour before the Nolichucky River overran the I-26 corridor and flooding began rapidly intensifying in the industrial park.

Finney said the video showed there were paths for people to evacuate the area when the employees were dismissed. However, some employees remained outside the business on South Industrial Drive. According to Tennessee OSHA’s investigation into the company, the last-known evacuees left by 12:18 p.m. before flooding “rapidly intensified” and swept vehicles away around 12:23 p.m.

“At 1:00 p.m., floodwaters caused a semi-truck parked on South Industrial Drive to jackknife, with stranded individuals on its flatbed trailer, clinging to large spools,” the TOSHA report said. “By 1:41 pm, the semi-truck and trailer collided with a tree, dislodging large spools of pipe; individuals clung to these as they were swept away.”

Finney said TBI agents spoke with 26 witnesses beginning in October 2024 to determine what happened, which included employees who were working on September 27.

“Within these interviews, no evidence was established to substantiate the claim that the employees were told they were prohibited from leaving or threatened with termination for leaving as the floodwater rose. Attempts to interview other Impact Plastics employees were unsuccessful due to lack of cooperation or response,” Finney said.

The DA also referred to the TOSHA investigation, which concluded that company management had “exercised reasonable diligence in dismissing employees and providing them sufficient time to leave the facility safely.”

WBIR 10News has reached out to lawyers representing Impact Plastics and the families of the victims for their thoughts on the DA’s findings.

Attorney Stephen Ross Johnson, who represents owner Gerald O’Connor, said the company welcomed the results of the investigation:

“These past months, Impact Plastics and Mr. O’Connor have fully cooperated with the official agencies investigating the flood. The true and accurate facts are now known. Critically, and contrary to what was reported by some in the media, the TBI and the District Attorney General’s Office have now confirmed what Tennessee OSHA already determined, that “company management exercised reasonable diligence in dismissing employees and providing them sufficient time to leave the facility safely.”

Impact Plastics and Gerald O’Connor continue to concentrate on seeing to the needs of members of the Impact Plastics family and grieving over the wonderful people who were lost in the flood. Mr. O’Connor is focused on rebuilding Impact Plastics for the benefit of the employees, the customers, and the community.

Impact Plastics intends to continue to play a vital role in Erwin’s flood recover.”