FEMA and SBA Top $6 Million for South Fork and Salt Fires and Flooding Recovery

Just 30 days after President Biden declared a major disaster for the state of New Mexico following the South Fork and Salt Fires and flooding that began on June 17, more than $6 million in federal assistance has been approved by FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support disaster recovery.  

“FEMA and our federal partners are working closely with the state of New Mexico to provide help in recovery for all its affected residents as quickly as possible,” said Robert M. Patterson Jr., FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer for New Mexico. “Federal assistance is just one part of the whole community effort to support New Mexico’s recovery from last month’s fires and floods,” he added. 

As of July 19, New Mexico’s recovery assistance includes: 

More than $3 million in grants awarded to eligible homeowners and renters in Lincoln, Otero, Rio Arriba and San Juan counties and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. These grants help pay for eligible losses and disaster-related damage, including:

• More than $1.7 million in FEMA housing grants to help pay for home repair, home replacement and rental assistance for temporary housing. 
• More than $1.3 million in grants to help pay for personal property replacement and other serious disaster-related needs — such as moving and storage fees, transportation, childcare, and medical and dental expenses. 

SBA

More than $3 million in long-term, low-interest disaster loans from SBA has been approved and are available to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations to repair, rebuild or replace disaster-damaged physical property and to cover economic injury from the fires and flooding.

SBA opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) to help applicants to complete their disaster loan applications. It is located inside the Ruidoso Public Library (Archive Room), 107 Kansas City Road, Ruidoso. The BRC is open Mondays – Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is needed. 

SBA has the largest source of funds to help private property owners pay for disaster losses not covered by insurance or other recoveries. The program covers deductibles and increased cost of compliance after a disaster. Survivors should not wait for an insurance settlement before submitting an SBA loan application. 

Applicants may apply at https://lending.sba.gov. Business owners also may apply in-person by visiting SBA Business Recovery Center at the Ruidoso Public Library. The deadline to apply to SBA for property damage is Aug. 19, 2024. The deadline to apply for economic injury is March 20, 2025.

FEMA on the Ground

FEMA response staff was on site in southern New Mexico within hours of the first fire alarm. To date more than 300 FEMA personnel have deployed to this disaster — in-person and virtually — to execute disaster assistance and recovery programs in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NMDHSEM).

The state and FEMA have staffed and operated Disaster Recovery Centers in Roswell, Ruidoso and the Mescalero Apache Reservation, which have provided face-to-face assistance to nearly 1,000 homeowners, renters and their families. To find the closest center to you, visit fema.gov/drc.

FEMA’s Volunteer Agency Liaisons (VALs) are operating four donation centers and points of distribution in areas affected by the fires and floods. In addition, about 113,000 immediate relief supplies have been donated and distributed to impacted residents from the Roswell Armory, and more than 1,969 individual volunteers from VOAD and the American Red Cross have contributed more than 52,911 hours to the recovery.

Public Assistance 

FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program reimburses the state, counties, local governments, tribes, and certain private nonprofits (including houses of worship) for eligible costs of disaster-related debris removal, emergency protective measures and repair and replacement of storm-damaged facilities, such as roads, bridges, public utilities, including water treatment and electrical plants, government buildings and parks. PA is available, on a cost -sharing basis, in all five designated areas: Lincoln, Otero, Rio Arriba and San Juan counties and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

How to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance

The first step for individuals and households to receive assistance is to apply to FEMA for federal assistance. There are no costs involved to apply for, or receive, FEMA assistance. There are four ways to apply:

1. Go online to disasterassistance.gov/
2. Download the FEMA App for mobile devices at fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products
3. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. MT. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
4. Visit a Disaster Recovery Center operated by the state of New Mexico and FEMA. For location and hours, visit fema.gov/drc

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance, visit youtube.com/watch= WZGpWI2RCNw.

The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Aug. 19, 2024.

For more information about FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, visit  www.fema.gov/assistance/individual.