Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Quay County’s total damage assessment from the May 25-26 storms stands at $8.7 million — a figure that likely will grow because it received a 30-day extension from the state to report more flood-ravaged roads.
County manager Daniel Zamora on Thursday toured 15 damaged sites with three state officials and a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Zamora said he hopes the county will receive a federal disaster declaration from late May’s flash-flooding event.
Such a declaration would require the U.S. government to cover 75% of disaster-mediation costs, with the state and county each covering 12.5%.
A state disaster declaration, which appears likely, would have the state cover 75% of the costs and the county 25%.
Therefore, the difference between a federal and state disaster declaration would mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs for the county and state.
Zamora said he didn’t get a good read on the FEMA official during the all-day tour of damaged roads.
“He was kind of tight-lipped on what his damage assessment was,” Zamora said Friday. “But he’s supposed to put a report together and give it to the state soon. Hopefully, we’ll know more about the federal declaration soon.”
He said a state disaster declaration remains as “a backup plan” if the region doesn’t receive a federal declaration.
With the state extension, the county now has until July 25 to report storm damage.
For now, Zamora said about 20 roads, including East McGee Avenue and South Sixth Street in Tucumcari, have been reported as flood-damaged. However, he thinks that number still is low.
“We’re still going off call-ins for that,” he said. “There are ranch roads where nobody lives that people are starting to call in. They may not be as high priority, but there’s still damage to those roads.
“We’re still finding things. With 1,100 miles of road (in the county), it’s hard to get to all of them.”
Zamora said the FEMA agent also toured damaged sites in Curry County on Friday.
Combined, the two counties alone could meet the minimum federal criteria of $3.7 million in storm damage.
“The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is grateful to FEMA for conducting (preliminary damage assessments) in Curry and Quay counties,” stated David Lienemann, public information officer for the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“We look forward to working with FEMA to support these communities as they rebuild from the damages they experienced due to the severe weather in May,” Homeland Security Secretary David Dye said.
Zamora said Quay County’s preliminary damage assessment totals $8.7 million, which includes materials, transportation of the materials and labor. That includes the brand-new $4 million bridge on Old Route 66 between Endee and San Jon that was destroyed by floodwaters.
“But my concern is we’re so short-handed,” Zamora said. “If we try to do (the work) ourselves, we’ll be years behind. We’re really going to need to hire help to get our roads back to where they need to be. And anytime you hire it out, it’s going to be more expensive than doing it yourself. We think those numbers are going to have to be adjusted.”
