WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following joint statement, welcoming President Donald Trump’s granting of a Major Disaster Declaration for Lincoln County, while renewing their call for President Trump to grant a Major Disaster Declaration for Chaves, Otero, and Valencia Counties and authorize Public Assistance Categories C-G in the wake of severe flooding that took the lives of three people and damaged homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
“The loss of life and devastation in Ruidoso as a result of this catastrophic flooding is horrific and heartbreaking. After seeing the destruction firsthand and hearing from families who have lost everything, our thoughts remain with those mourning loved ones and the hundreds of New Mexicans forced to flee their homes or watch their businesses be destroyed. We are deeply grateful to the first responders, local leaders, medical providers, and rescue teams working tirelessly to help their communities recover.
“This Major Disaster Declaration for Lincoln County will unlock funding needed for disaster response, and we will continue to push President Trump to grant the State’s Major Disaster Declaration request for Chaves, Otero, and Valencia Counties and authorize additional Public Assistance to make sure that all New Mexicans impacted by this disaster are provided with the federal support necessary to rebuild.”
On July 10, the N.M. Delegation welcomed an emergency declaration for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia Counties. The emergency declaration opened up access to specific FEMA funds for immediate disaster response, including support for search and rescue and incident management efforts. An emergency declaration does not preclude a subsequent Major Disaster Declaration. Therefore, the N.M. Delegation pushed President Trump to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Through a Major Disaster Declaration request, the State of New Mexico has requested Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State also requested Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The N.M. Delegation will continue to push President Trump to authorize Public Assistance Categories C-G and approve a Major Disaster Declaration request for Chaves, Otero, and Valencia Counties from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Additionally, on July 15, the N.M. Delegation called on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Director David Richardson to disburse critical and overdue funds that would provide immediate assistance in response to the catastrophic flash flooding in and around Ruidoso.
In a letter to OMB Director Vought and FEMA Acting Director Richardson, the Delegation urged OMB to release reimbursement funds from a project undertaken in the wake of last year’s South Fork and Salt Fires — currently stalled in “Large Project Review” — so they can be redirected to Lincoln County after recent severe flooding. The project in question was completed last year, has been fully reviewed by FEMA, and has an estimated cost of $7.7 million. These funds could be deployed immediately to assist Lincoln County and impacted residents as they continue to assess and respond to the recent severe flooding. But with no timeline provided to Lincoln County or the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) for completing the “Large Project Review” by the Administration, the Delegations is demanding answers. Read the full letter here.
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