Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order on Monday declaring a state of emergency in Rio Arriba county on August 15 following severe floods caused by monsoon rains.
Up to $ 750,000 is now available for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to aid city and county officials in public recovery efforts, according to a press release.
“With the funds from this declaration of emergency, local leaders will now have the resources they need to repair damaged roads, water systems and other infrastructure that our communities need to thrive,” said Department Secretary Bianca Ortiz-Wertheim in a press release.
With the statement, the Adjutant General of the New Mexico National Guard, Kenneth A. Nava, can use the guard to provide the necessary assistance and instruct all cabinet departments to provide assistance, the statement said. Affected communities within the district can also be entitled to state support.
“Local aquatic plants and infrastructure have been severely damaged by flooding and we look forward to using all available resources to mitigate the damage immediately,” said Alfredo Montoya, fire and rescue director for Rio Arriba County, in a press release. “Failure to restore our local acequias to operations will have serious adverse effects on our predominantly agricultural communities.”
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