Lujan Grisham will tour flood-ravaged San Juan County on Monday as the state seeks millions in federal relief aid
Digital Assignment Editor
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Sunday that her planned Monday visit to San Juan County, which has been reeling from severe flooding, was scheduled to give first responders and emergency personnel time to complete rescues and other emergency work.
“The governor’s visit was carefully scheduled to give first responders, law enforcement and emergency vehicles ample time to complete rescues and other emergency work during the flooding,” the governor’s office said. “Now that floodwaters are receding and initial damage assessments are underway, the Governor will survey the disaster zone and work to get families the help they need.”
Lujan Grisham was expected to visit with Maj.-Gen. Miguel Aguilar of the NM National Guard.
The governor said some $3.75 million in federal disaster aid was immediately available because Santa Fe declared a statewide flooding emergency on Sept. 30, when torrential rain and swelling rivers inundated communities, roads, and left three people dead.
Lujan Grisham also requested a Federal Emergency Declaration on Saturday in San Juan County and surrounding areas. The declaration covered Rio Arriba, Cibola, and Sandoval counties, as well as the Zia, Laguna, and San Ildefonso pueblos and Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Her office said the declaration would unlock at least $13.8 million in relief aid, plus millions more for environmental remediation. Emergency flood response costs are estimated to reach $18.2 million by Tuesday, the governor’s office said.
Late September and early October’s floods caused an estimated $27.1 million in damages to state infrastructure, according to the governor’s office.
