4 days ago
Village of Ruidoso says it's ready to welcome visitors back after devastating flood
RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) – The Village of Ruidoso says it's ready to welcome back visitors after flooding swept through part of the village earlier this month, killing three people and leaving homes and businesses damaged.
'But the simple fact is, the majority of the town is in great shape. The Midtown shopping area is in great shape. You know, there's just so many wonderful things to do,' said Mayor Lynn Crawford, who acknowledged that the decision to welcome back visitors comes with controversy. 'We've got businesses, families that have businesses, employees with families that they're dependent on that for livelihood. So that's the reason we're moving forward is, you know, the overall well-being of the community.'
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The village is entering the beginning stages of recovery mode after heavy monsoonal rains fell on the 2024 South Fork and Salt fire burn scar areas on July 8. The historic flooding caused the Rio Ruidoso to rise to 20 feet, five feet higher than the previous record in 2024.
A man and two children died in the flooding, and dozens of others had to be rescued from the flood waters, which swept houses and trees away and left many areas of the village, including Upper Canyon, Brady Canyon, and the nearby Ruidoso Downs Race track, damaged. The mayor said the village is looking at $1 billion worth of damage.
'What we're talking about with the flooding, that's going to go on for a few years until we are able to get on forestry land. And that's honestly the conversations we're having right now with the federal government, the state government, is we've got to get up there and do work on the mountain where this starts. And then things will change here drastically once we get that done,' Crawford explained.
While the village works on its recovery, for now, it is moving on and adjusting to a new reality, which includes potential frequent flooding in burn scar areas.
The mayor said the village has a plan in place and monitors the weather with the help of a meteorologist at its 24/7 emergency operations center. If the weather poses a threat, the village has and will continue to send out alerts online, to smartphones, and on the radio via KRUI The Mountain. Staff will also go out into the community to warn people if needed.
'We have all of our utility trucks that go into the flood-prone areas that we see coming, knock on doors. We have a PA system in each one of the vehicles that we can talk through so you can hear it off the road to let people know, 'Hey, it's coming. Stay where you're at, or you need to move,'' said Crawford.
The mayor said the best thing people can do in the village is to keep an eye on their surroundings by looking out for storms in the sky, knowing their proximity to water, and staying on high ground.
'We understand that there's some apprehension, and that that's certainly understandable, but we've taken so many measures to warn people, to, you know, try to make people aware, and if you're at high ground, you know, you're safe, just know your surroundings. If it starts clouding up, start listening to the radio that you can listen to on your phone. If you get a warning, pay attention to that,' Crawford explained.
List of resources created by the Village of Ruidoso:
Learn about monsoon season: Village of Ruidoso on Facebook:
Download the 'Discover Ruidoso' app (available in the app store) – This is your pocket guide to everything Ruidoso! In the app's sidebar, you'll find the RAIN map that includes:
Current weather conditions
Road closures and updates
Low-level crossing information
Our trusted Flood Safe Partners
Radio:
The Mountain FM 99.1 | AM 1490 for weather updates.
Important information and alerts are also shared via the Midtown speaker system, the village said.
Ruidoso tourism looking ahead
The Ruidoso Downs Race Track, a major economic driver in the area, remains closed due to damage suffered in the flooding. While the track hopes to rebuild and open in 2026, the Ruidoso is relying on other means to draw tourists— apart from those seeking a mountain escape—to the area.
One large event that is coming up is the XTERRA Triathlon. The event was booked before this latest round of flooding and is still set to take place, bringing in hundreds of athletes.
'The XTERRA people are coming. They say 'you guys are the epitome of what we stand for, resiliency, determination, you know, you get knocked down, you get right back up, that's what we do,'' said Mayor Crawford.
Once this race wraps up, the village will then prepare to host the XTERRA World Championship and New Mexico's first-ever IRONMAN-branded triathlon, both set to take place in 2026.
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