At least three people were killed by historic flash floods in a New Mexico mountain community that suffered devastating wildfires last year, officials said late Tuesday.

Flash flooding from heavy rain killed at least three people and prompted dozens of rescues in the Ruidoso area of southern New Mexico, officials said — the same area devastated by wildfires last year.

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — The mountain village of Ruidoso returned to the grim rituals of rebuilding after flash flooding and a deadly natural disaster, just one year after wildfire and intense flooding reshaped the popular vacation getaway and its surroundings.

At least three people have died as a result of severe flash flooding that swept through a south-central New Mexico resort town on Tuesday afternoon. The devastating floods left people trapped in homes and prompted dozens of water rescues in Ruidoso, officials said.

Up to 18 inches of rain fell between Aug. 18 and Aug. 20, 2007, triggering flash floods that are still considered some of Minnesota's worst. It killed seven people and caused $179 million in damages, mostly in Winona, Fillmore and Houston counties.

Emergency crews carried out at least 85 swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area, including of people who were trapped in their homes and cars. No deaths were immediately reported.

Torrential rains triggered flash floods in New Mexico that killed at least three people on Tuesday, including two young children, and trapped dozens in homes and vehicles in the resort village of Ruidoso,

Ruidoso's surge follows deadly flooding in Texas, where authorities reported more than 160 people missing in the aftermath of catastrophic storms.

Flash flooding hit a New Mexico town devastated by wildfires last year, washing away at least one home and causing gas leaks, city officials said Tuesday.