Latest news with #LujanGrisham
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Officials say hundreds of homes damaged in Ruidoso flooding
RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) – Ruidoso officials and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham held a news conference in Ruidoso Thursday morning to give an update on Ruidoso flood response efforts. Ruidoso residents begin long road to recovery following historic flooding Gov. Lujan Grisham says that she is in talks with the feds about how much money may be made available for aid distribution. Authorities have been assessing the flood damage, and the number of damaged homes continues to rise, with officials saying 200 to 400 homes have been damaged. Officials said they had approximately 65 swift water rescues with people getting stuck in homes, cars, and trees. Many in the village are experiencing water outages as utility workers assess the damage. Drinking water is available at the Gateway Church, Wingfield Park, and at the Humane Society. Floodwaters reached as high as 20 feet hit the Village of Ruidoso Tuesday, and claimed the lives of three people, including two children. Gov. Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration Tuesday night in response to the flooding in Ruidoso. The emergency declaration requests federal response teams and repair resources to Ruidoso immediately. Areas hit the hardest include the Upper Canyon, Brady Canyon, Cedar Creek, and Paradise Canyon. With more rain expected in the region, state leaders are urging residents to stay vigilant. 'We will protect New Mexicans. But if you live here in Ruidoso, follow the emergency evacuation orders. We cannot lose another life,' said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-New Mexico). President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration for New Mexico, which will help bring in millions of dollars to the region for flooding recovery and response efforts. There is a disaster recovery center set up at ENMU-Ruidoso, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There, case managers can help with replacing documents, finding resources, and answering insurance questions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
At least 200 homes damaged in New Mexico flooding that killed 3 people, officials say
At least 200 homes were damaged after torrential rains triggered a deadly flash flood that killed three people, including two children, as waters rapidly swept through a mountain village in New Mexico, authorities said on July 10. The village of Ruidoso, located in south-central New Mexico, was continuing recovery and clean-up efforts after heavy rains from slow-moving storms overwhelmed the Rio Ruidoso on July 8. The sudden flooding trapped dozens of people in homes, vehicles, and trees, and caused widespread damage. A man and two young children, who had been camping at an RV park, were swept downstream and later found dead, according to local authorities. One person remained unaccounted for as of July 10, said Lincoln County Emergency Manager Eric Holt. Local authorities reported that between 200 and 400 homes were damaged in the flooding, and about 65 swift water rescues were conducted. New Mexico officials, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, surveyed the area on July 10. The governor noted that the state received partial approval for a federal emergency declaration, which will provide immediate assistance for search and rescue teams and incident management. Lujan Grisham said at a news conference that the federal government plans to provide financial assistance, including $3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $12 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to help communities rebuild. "This federal declaration is a critical first step, but it's not everything Ruidoso needs and deserves," Lujan Grisham said. "We will continue working with the federal government for every dollar and resource necessary to help this resilient community fully recover from these devastating floods." State and local officials also warned that more rain was expected in the region and that residents should remain at risk. Ruidoso is susceptible to mudslides and increased runoff following two large fires that scorched swathes of land, known as "burn scars," in 2024. "Over the coming days, we are expecting additional rain. There are homes and people that will be in harm's way," said U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, whose district includes Ruidoso and surrounding Lincoln County. "We cannot lose another life. So, it's really important over the coming days that everyone follow those emergency orders." Ruidoso, a popular summer retreat as well as ski resort nestled in the Sierra Blanca mountain range, is located about 180 miles southeast of Albuquerque, the state's largest city. Texas floods: Deaths rise to 120; search for missing enters seventh day. Family recounts parents' efforts to save children The family of the two children who died in the flooding recounted in a GoFundMe page the horrific moment floodwaters swept the young siblings away and the desperate attempt by their parents to save their lives. Charlotte and Sebastian Trotter, 4 and 7 years old, were found dead on July 8 after flash flooding swept across Ruidoso and into Riverview RV Park. The children and their parents, Sebastian and Stephanie Trotter, had arrived just two days prior for a camping trip from El Paso, Texas. "On July 8th, what was supposed to be a carefree family vacation in Ruidoso, New Mexico, turned into a nightmare no one could have imagined," wrote Hank Wyatt, the children's uncle, on the GoFundMe page. Wyatt described a typical day ahead of the flash flooding, which included exploring the village, shopping, playing soccer, and pizza for lunch. The family was packing up the RV when flooding hit, he said. "They received no warning or alerts on their phone when suddenly water began to flood the campsite at a rapid pace," Wyatt wrote. "The RV began to fill up with water before they could even step out of the door. Their efforts to escape the RV and seek refuge failed. As the water got more and more violent, the RV was nearly half way filled with water when the wall of the RV cracked in half and the mother and kids were sucked into the water." The children's father dove into the water to save their daughter, according to Wyatt, as Stephanie Trotter and her son climbed up a tree. Charlotte continued down the river until trees and debris hit and separated them. Stephanie then started drowning until she was rescued, Wyatt said. Ruidoso, NM flooding: Children cling to ceiling fan as flooding destroys RV park, family home Why the 2024 wildfires made Ruidoso vulnerable to catastrophic flooding Recovering from the fires that ravaged Ruidoso in 2024 was going to be a long process, but little did anyone know that it laid the groundwork for the deadly flooding on July 8. During the worst of the deluge, the Rio Ruidoso crested at 20 feet, five feet higher than any previous weather event. The wall of water left little in its wake. Still, meteorologist Jason Grzywacz of the National Weather Service office in El Paso and Santa Teresa noted the conditions were primed for a flooding event. "The main reason was the South Fork Fire last year that burned directly west of Ruidoso," Grzywacz said. "The soil wasn't able to absorb any of the rainfall, and it runs right down into Ruidoso. Normally, if you had that vegetation still there, it could absorb it. For the Ruidoso monsoon season, it was above average rain but not record rainfall." The village of Ruidoso is no stranger to the rains of the monsoon season, with it recently experiencing days of half an inch to an inch of precipitation, Grzywacz added. When a busy wildfire season occurs on level terrain, he explained, there is a lower chance of flooding. In this case, the fire consumed west of the village towards Sierra Blanca peak, making a natural pathway for any flow of precipitation. "That's where the rain started and the storm slowly built, and your drainages go to a town," Grzywacz said. "If the fire had been 10 miles north, then you probably wouldn't have heard anything about it. But it just happened that where that fire burned it was close to Ruidoso. When there's ample moisture in the atmosphere, there's always a threat of some flooding in the mountains like that." Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY; Reuters
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governors of Western states give mixed reactions to proposed federal land sell-off
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Republican-sponsored proposal before Congress to mandate the sale of federal public lands received a mixed reception Monday from the governors of Western states. A budget proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee would mandate the sale of more than 2 million acres of federal lands to state or other entities. It was included recently in a draft provision of the GOP's sweeping tax cut package. At a summit Monday of Western state governors, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the approach is problematic in New Mexico because of the close relationship residents have with those public lands. 'I'm open' to the idea, said Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democratic governor and former congresswoman. 'Except here.' 'Our public lands, we have a very strong relationship with the openness, and they belong to all of us,' said Lujan Grisham, who was announcing written recommendations Monday on affordable housing strategies from the Western Governors' Association. 'And selling that to the private sector without a process, without putting New Mexicans first, is, for at least for me as a governor, going to be problematic.' Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum is among the leaders from several federal agencies scheduled to attend the meeting of the association on Monday and Tuesday. Conservation groups vowed to stage public protests over plans to cede public land to development. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon voiced qualified support for plans to tap federal land for development. 'On a piece-by-piece basis where states have the opportunity to craft policies that make sense ... we can actually allow for some responsible growth in areas with communities that are landlocked at this point,' he told a news conference outside the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in downtown Santa Fe. 'There may be value there.' Lee has said federal land sales under his proposal would target 'isolated parcels' that could be used for housing or infrastructure, and would not include national parks, national monuments or wilderness. Land in 11 Western states from Alaska to New Mexico would be eligible for sale. Montana was carved out of the proposal after its lawmakers objected. In some states, such as Utah and Nevada, the government controls the vast majority of lands, protecting them from potential exploitation but hindering growth.
The Hill
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Governors of Western states give mixed reactions to proposed federal land sell-off
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Republican-sponsored proposal before Congress to mandate the sale of federal public lands received a mixed reception Monday from the governors of Western states. A budget proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee would mandate the sale of more than 2 million acres of federal lands to state or other entities. It was included recently in a draft provision of the GOP's sweeping tax cut package. At a summit Monday of Western state governors, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the approach is problematic in New Mexico because of the close relationship residents have with those public lands. 'I'm open' to the idea, said Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democratic governor and former congresswoman. 'Except here.' 'Our public lands, we have a very strong relationship with the openness, and they belong to all of us,' said Lujan Grisham, who was announcing written recommendations Monday on affordable housing strategies from the Western Governors' Association. 'And selling that to the private sector without a process, without putting New Mexicans first, is, for at least for me as a governor, going to be problematic.' Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum is among the leaders from several federal agencies scheduled to attend the meeting of the association on Monday and Tuesday. Conservation groups vowed to stage public protests over plans to cede public land to development. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon voiced qualified support for plans to tap federal land for development. 'On a piece-by-piece basis where states have the opportunity to craft policies that make sense … we can actually allow for some responsible growth in areas with communities that are landlocked at this point,' he told a news conference outside the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in downtown Santa Fe. 'There may be value there.' Lee has said federal land sales under his proposal would target 'isolated parcels' that could be used for housing or infrastructure, and would not include national parks, national monuments or wilderness. Land in 11 Western states from Alaska to New Mexico would be eligible for sale. Montana was carved out of the proposal after its lawmakers objected. In some states, such as Utah and Nevada, the government controls the vast majority of lands, protecting them from potential exploitation but hindering growth.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Governors of Western states give mixed reactions to proposed federal land sell-off
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Republican-sponsored proposal before Congress to mandate the sale of federal public lands received a mixed reception Monday from the governors of Western states. A budget proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee would mandate the sale of more than 2 million acres of federal lands to state or other entities. It was included recently in a draft provision of the GOP's sweeping tax cut package. At a summit Monday of Western state governors, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the approach is problematic in New Mexico because of the close relationship residents have with those public lands. 'I'm open' to the idea, said Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democratic governor and former congresswoman. 'Except here.' 'Our public lands, we have a very strong relationship with the openness, and they belong to all of us,' said Lujan Grisham, who was announcing written recommendations Monday on affordable housing strategies from the Western Governors' Association. 'And selling that to the private sector without a process, without putting New Mexicans first, is, for at least for me as a governor, going to be problematic.' Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum is among the leaders from several federal agencies scheduled to attend the meeting of the association on Monday and Tuesday. Conservation groups vowed to stage public protests over plans to cede public land to development. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon voiced qualified support for plans to tap federal land for development. 'On a piece-by-piece basis where states have the opportunity to craft policies that make sense … we can actually allow for some responsible growth in areas with communities that are landlocked at this point,' he told a news conference outside the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in downtown Santa Fe. 'There may be value there.' Lee has said federal land sales under his proposal would target 'isolated parcels' that could be used for housing or infrastructure, and would not include national parks, national monuments or wilderness. Land in 11 Western states from Alaska to New Mexico would be eligible for sale. Montana was carved out of the proposal after its lawmakers objected. In some states, such as Utah and Nevada, the government controls the vast majority of lands, protecting them from potential exploitation but hindering growth.
