New Report: Lessons from Ruidoso

Lessons from Ruidoso: Wildfire and Post-Fire Flooding Recovery

The Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, has weathered a cascade of wildfire and flood disasters, including the 2022 McBride Fire and the 2024 Salt and South Fork Fires, along with the subsequent flooding. This report distills insights from the March 2026 Roundtable, where emergency managers and recovery partners came together to discuss lessons learned in preparedness, response, and recovery from a community facing cascading hazards.

Ruidoso's experience with back-to-back fires and floods defies traditional disaster models, which often treat preparedness, response, and recovery as sequential phases. The report highlights the importance of an integrated approach to preparedness, response, and recovery as well as investments in strong community partnerships and a continual commitment to evaluation and learning.