"The main reason was the South Fork Fire last year that burned directly west of Ruidoso," Grzywacz said. "The soil wasn't able to absorb any of the rainfall, and it runs right down into Ruidoso. Normally, if you had that vegetation still there, it could absorb it. For the Ruidoso monsoon season, it was above average rain but not record rainfall."

The village of Ruidoso is dealing with the aftermath of historic flash flooding that killed three people, including two young children, and damaged or destroyed numerous homes. Videos from Tuesday afternoon show the rapid influx of water and the devastation left behind,