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 is located in the southern part of New Mexico and is a noted vacation spot boasting camping and recreation amid its expansive forest landscape. World Population Review notes the village rose to a total of 7,600 in 2025. That was a decrease of the population by less than 1% in recent years.

The children, ages four and seven, were swept downstream by a flash flood after the Rio Ruidoso river rose to a record-setting 20 feet.

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.

After a week of severe storms that soaked the East Coast and triggered devastating floods in the South, more rain is on the way with a renewed flood threat for still-reeling Texas and New Mexico

Monsoon rains over burn scar areas from last year's fires caused devastating flash floods in New Mexico, killing three people and prompting water rescues.

While Ruidoso recovers from flash flooding, one of Albuquerque’s biggest animal adoption groups is stepping in to help Lincoln County’s overwhelmed animal shelter.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez and the state’s Department of Justice are warning Ruidoso residents who were affected by the flash floods about potential