Town leaders chided residents for warning of flash floods. Then, the river took two children.

Loading TBN…

Briefings

In July 2025, Mayor Lynn Crawford of Ruidoso, New Mexico, publicly criticized residents for sharing flood warnings on social media, claiming they were spreading fear. However, on July 6, 2025, the Rio Ruidoso river unexpectedly flooded the Riverview RV Park, killing two children, Sebastian Rowan and Charlotte, while their parents were away. The incident occurred despite the town's recent reopening of a $16 million racetrack and emergency management's heightened threat awareness. Crawford's comments were made after the river had already flooded and rescued four people, highlighting a disconnect between official safety assurances and the reality of flash floods in the region.

Key points

Mayor Lynn Crawford publicly criticized residents for sharing flood warnings on social media in June 2025, claiming they were spreading fear.

Two children, Sebastian Rowan and Charlotte, died in the Rio Ruidoso river on July 6, 2025, after the town's emergency management had raised threat awareness levels.

Context

Ruidoso, New Mexico, faces severe flash floods during peak tourist season, with the Rio Ruidoso channeling through culverts near the racetrack. The town has experienced severe flooding and wildfires, with 1,000 homes destroyed, and emergency management has maintained heightened threat awareness despite public safety assurances to residents.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to a single incident where two children died; no causal link between Crawford's comments and the flood is established. Emergency response details are incomplete, and the article cuts off mid-sentence.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 21/10/2026, 10:02:00 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeie2aruvg2dd4wyozjsdqzaswph3sudxthwa3m73dgsalvamjk32aq