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.

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".

The disasters in Texas and New Mexico are something Minnesotans can't take for granted. In 2007, deadly flash floods forced people to evacuate homes and campgrounds in southeastern Minnesota. Up to 18 inches of rain fell between Aug.