"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."

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

El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson expressed condolences following the Tuesday, July 8, flash flood in Ruidoso that killed three people, including two children from a Fort Bliss family.

The village of Ruidoso was under a flash flood emergency as slow moving storms left people trapped in homes and prompted multiple water rescues.

The National Weather Service is sharing details on the rapidly evolving situation in New Mexico. In the past few minutes, the NWS says a "father and two children washed away. SW crews in pursuit." Another update reads, "1 adult 2 children trapped and needing rescue".