NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The state is assisting in recovery efforts following this week’s storm that brought flooding to southern New Mexico. The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reports its Recovery Team partnered with Lincoln County officials to perform preliminary assessments of flood damage in the areas of Capitan, Glencoe, Picacho, and Hondo.

According to a press release from DHSEM, the assessments are being conducted to support a possible State Emergency Declaration. Lincoln County officials are asking residents to contact their insurance companies regarding private property damage. For issues with wells, septic tanks, and cesspools, the county asks residents to contact Savanah Jones at 575-258-1407.

Lincoln County now offers a section on its website that directs regional Acequia associations to contact Gregory Suko from the DHSEM Recovery Team at gregory.suko@state.nm.us to schedule a damage assessment review. On Friday, June 4 at 2 p.m. the Board of Lincoln County Commissioners will hold a special meeting to declare a disaster in the Hondo Valley.

The department reports that DHSEM Secretary Bianca Ortiz-Wertheim and DHSEM REcovery Team members toured the Roswell area on Thursday along with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Chaves County Flood Commission, Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh, and local officials to address a breached levee outside of Roswell. Officials state the Corps of Engineers is working to preserve infrastructure and reduce sheet flooding where flood waters move in broad sheets across flat land.

The American Red Cross also met with residents and is onsite to help with any needed services. DHSEM reports that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has approved a DHSEM request for a Civil Air Patrol surveillance flight in order to document flood damages in the area and to identify the possible origin of flooding.

Chaves County residents who have questions on flood prevention and recovery tools such as sandbags can contact Karen Sanders at 575-624-6740 or at k.sandersWroswell-nm.gov. Information on how to correctly fill and place sandbags can be found at usace.contentm.oclc.org.

The Department states the Recovery Team will return to Lincoln County next week to help identify and support Acequia applicants under the State Disaster Assistance Program.

  • Flooding outside of Roswell
  • Mayor Kintigh with DHSEM and USACE members
  • Alamo County Road in Lincoln County
(images courtesy Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management)