Last year, New Mexico In Depth wrote about how difficult it’s been for some of New Mexico’s Native American tribes to receive millions of dollars promised by the federal government. The money had been approved after President Obama declared disaster declarations due to flooding in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
As they continue to wait for funding, many tribal communities still can’t pick up the pieces from floods that destroyed roads and damaged homes in the past few years.
And today, they’re bracing for more rains from Hurricane Odile, which is expected to bring heavy rains and high flooding potential to New Mexico this week. According to the National Weather Service forecast, communities downstream of the Las Conchas burn scar should prepare for flooding from thunderstorms, especially on Thursday, when the thunderstorm threat will be high.
On Monday, the national radio program Native America Calling will host a show that New Mexico In Depth helped produce about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) policies and procedures work – and sometimes, don’t – in Indian Country. The show will include guests from tribal communities in New Mexico.
Native America Calling airs on nearly 70 public, community and tribal stations in the United States and Canada. It airs on Albuquerque’s KUNM-FM weekdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
NMID will post audio of Monday’s show on our website after it airs.
With the rains heading toward the Southwest, the state’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will work with the National Weather Service to let people know what to expect and how to prepare for potential flooding. Estevan Lujan adds that the State Emergency Operations Center has staff on standby 24 hours a day to address any needs communities may have.