Sandbags protect a building in Ruidoso, New Mexico after floods swept through town in July of 2024. This week's floods rose significantly higher. Photo: The Washington Post

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.

People across Ruidoso whose jobs have been affected by the floods are urged to apply for standard unemployment benefits. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) is supervising the operation.

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There will be no more horse races at Ruidoso Downs for 2025, after flood waters ravaged the race track for the second year in a row.

On Tuesday, torrential rain hit Ruidoso, a small mountain town and summer destination in southern New Mexico, and caused the Rio Ruidoso to overflow. The flash floods that ensued have killed three people, including two children. Emergency services carried out dozens of swift water rescues.

The summer rainy season in New Mexico usually brings daily alerts about the potential for flooding around the arid state.