Floodwater recovery moves forward as damage estimate reaches $17 million

The floodwaters have largely receded across Doña Ana County, but the cost of what they left behind is only beginning to come into focus.

County officials put the preliminary damage estimate at about $17 million Tuesday as the Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners unanimously declared a local disaster, moving the county further from emergency response into what could be a lengthy recovery. The declaration gives the county additional flexibility in responding to the disaster and is part of the process for seeking additional state and potentially federal assistance.

The $17 million estimate remains preliminary. Damage assessments continue across the county, including losses to homes, businesses, vehicles and other private property that are not fully reflected in the early totals.

The largest preliminary loss presented to commissioners was approximately $9 million in damage associated with Elephant Butte Irrigation District. The City of Las Cruces reported an estimated $2.2 million in damage, while the Doña Ana County Flood Commission reported approximately $1.25 million. Camino Real Regional Utility Authority estimated its damage at $1.1 million, and Caballo Soil and Water Conservation District reported approximately $1 million.

Damage to county roads was estimated at $561,000, with additional losses reported by county utilities, Animal Control and the City of Anthony.

Together, the numbers provide the first broad picture of the physical toll from September flooding that stretched across much of Doña Ana County. But they are not a final accounting.

County officials continue to ask residents and business owners affected by the flooding to document their losses through the county's online damage assessment portal. Reports can include damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other property, along with photographs.

Those without internet access can report damage by calling 211.

Submitting information does not guarantee that a resident will receive financial assistance. The reports instead help officials establish the extent of the disaster, identify needs that remain unmet and build the documentation that can be used as local and state officials pursue additional disaster assistance.

The flooding followed a series of September storms that affected communities throughout the county, with some of the most serious problems occurring in the Hatch Valley and northern Doña Ana County. Evacuations were ordered in Hatch, Salem, Garfield, Placitas and Rincon as floodwaters threatened homes, roads and infrastructure. Those evacuation orders were subsequently lifted, and the county's Emergency Operations Center has closed.

That has shifted the work of county departments and other agencies toward cleanup, damage assessment and longer-term recovery. Responsibility for that work is spread among several agencies because much of the damaged infrastructure is not owned by Doña Ana County.

The county's Public Works Department and Flood Commission are assessing and addressing county roads and flood-control infrastructure. EBID is responsible for its irrigation and drainage system, while CRRUA is dealing with damage to its water and wastewater infrastructure. Municipalities, soil and water conservation officials and other agencies are addressing facilities within their jurisdictions.

The local disaster declaration approved Tuesday is also intended to help move the recovery into its next phase. Under the state's disaster-response process, the declaration allows the county to seek additional assistance from New Mexico and document costs that could potentially qualify for reimbursement.

The state was already involved in the flood response before Tuesday's county action.

The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Operations Center in September as heavy rain and flash flooding threatened communities around the state.

Acting Gov. Howie Morales later signed emergency orders making up to $3.75 million available to the department for flood response and recovery statewide. Federal assistance could eventually become another part of the recovery, but it is not automatic.

Damage assessments and documentation are part of the process used by local and state officials to establish the extent of a disaster and determine whether additional federal assistance should be sought. No new federal disaster declaration covering the September Doña Ana County flooding had been announced as of this week.

The county is also seeking funding for disaster case managers who could work directly with affected residents to help identify available programs and resources. Needs that cannot be met through existing programs could eventually be referred to a long-term recovery group and participating organizations.

For local governments and agencies, meanwhile, the preliminary damage estimates leave considerable work ahead. The figures presented to commissioners identify the agencies and systems carrying some of the largest losses but do not yet answer how individual facilities will be repaired, how long that work will take or how the eventual costs will be divided among local, state and potentially federal sources.

Those assessments will continue in the weeks ahead.

The same is true for the losses suffered by residents and businesses, making continued reporting of private damage an important part of establishing the flood's full impact. For now, the roughly $17 million estimate provides a starting point rather than a final price tag.

The emergency that sent residents from their homes and crews into flooded communities has largely passed. What remains is the longer work of documenting what was lost, repairing what was damaged and determining how that recovery will be paid for.