The floods that claimed the lives of three people have put the spotlight on the usually tranquil vacation locale of the village of Ruidoso. The floods on Tuesday, July 8, not only washed out several roads but also caused the river to crest at a record 20 feet.

"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."