Two young children of a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Bliss were among the three people killed in a record-breaking flash flood that swept through a village in New Mexico on Tuesday, local officials said.
The three were “swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters that struck” the Village of Ruidoso, village officials said in a statement.
“The biggest catastrophe of all are the lives that we lost,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said during a press conference on Wednesday.
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.
“We want everyone to know that the kids were full of life and always laughing,” Wyatt told ABC News in a statement. “Sebastian was an avid Pokémon card collector, loved to play sports, but was a huge soccer fanatic. He wanted to be a professional soccer player when he got older. Charlotte loved to be the center of attention. She loved to sing, dance, and make jokes. She also loved to give people makeovers with her play makeup.”
She added, “The kids knew nothing but love and we believe they felt it to the very end.”
The family also lost two dogs in the flood, a 4-year-old German Shepherd named Ellie and a 9-year-old husky named Zeus.
The third person who died in the flooding — a man in his 40s or 50s — has not been publicly identified.
“Our hearts are heavy with grief following this devastating loss. The entire Fort Bliss community extends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragedy,” Brig. Gen. Rory Crooks, the deputy commanding general of the First Armored Division and Fort Bliss, said in a statement.
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More than 65 others were rescued by emergency crews, officials said. Three individuals were transported to the hospital for treatment, but all are in stable condition, officials said. Preliminary findings show that around 35 to 50 homes were damaged or lost in the floods, officials said.
Officials said they were prepared for potential flooding due to their “multi-alert system,” which includes a traditional siren, door-to-door knocking and “opt-in” notifications for residents to receive alerts on their phones.
“We always urge citizens to not rely on one emergency alert system,” village officials said on Wednesday. “Layers save lives.”
The Rio Ruidoso rose “to a record-breaking 20 feet — 5 feet higher than the previous record,” officials said. The area was pummeled with 3.5 inches of rain in about 90 minutes, which impacted the community “head on,” officials said on Wednesday.
During the rescues, officials said they found people in trees, in the water or trapped in their homes.
“The flash flooding occurred Tuesday afternoon when heavy monsoonal rains fell on burn scar areas from last year’s South Fork and Salt fires, creating dangerous conditions that led to rapid water rise throughout the village,” the village said.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque said early data placed the river’s crest at 20.24 feet on Tuesday afternoon, which would break the record of 15.86 feet that was set on July 20, 2024.
The highest measured rainfall was 3.29 inches on the southwest side of the South Fork burn scar. But generally speaking between 1.5 and 3.5 inches of rain fell on the burn scar and up to 1.5 inches fell in the village of Ruidoso.
Prior to the floods, the National Weather Service issued a flash food watch on Tuesday at 8 a.m., which was followed by a flash flood warning at 2:20 p.m., officials said. Less than half an hour later, a flash flood emergency was issued at 2:47 p.m., officials said.
“As you can tell, it came on pretty suddenly,” Crawford said Wednesday.
But officials said they were not just relying on alerts, with the National Guard already in place before the flooding began.
The threat for rain and flooding is not over in the area.
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A flood watch is in effect over this specific area — Ruidoso and Capitan — for Wednesday afternoon because there is a chance for 1-inch per hour rainfall rates with isolated downpours possible in the region. Another round of rain is possible in the evening as well. If another downpour happens, flash flooding can begin rapidly just like Tuesday.
Village officials said they are in “close contact” with state officials and the request for federal disaster assistance has already been issued.
There have been multiple flash flooding events in the same region since the South Fork Fire in June 2024 burned more than 17,000 acres. Prior to Tuesday’s event, Ruidoso suffered serious flash flooding as recently as June 26.
A full damage assessment is underway but will take “several days” to complete, officials said on Wednesday.
Officials said anyone with information on those missing in the floods should call their missing persons hotline at 575-637-0328.
