Acting Governor Howie Morales issued five emergency measures to help different communities in New Mexico following heavy rain which had damaged the infrastructure and disrupted transportation.
Morales signed the orders on Wednesday as acting governor because Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham was traveling outside the state.
The state is supporting each county, city, and village as it works day and night to keep their neighbors safe, Morales said.
Five orders, $750,000 each
Executive Orders 2026-073 to 2026-077 instruct the Department of Finance and Administration to make $750,000 available to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM).
The funds can be used to pay for emergency resources and services to reduce physical or economic damage, such as temporary accommodation, shelter, health care, food, and transportation.
This allows authorities to address the most urgent problems caused by floodwater, such as removing people from their homes or cutting communities off from essential services.
Why the state money matters
It takes a community a long time to work out the costs of flooding before it can assess the full scale of the damage.
Emergency repairs might be needed, residents might need a place to sleep, people might need medical attention, food, or transport, and public agencies might also have to relocate personnel and equipment while trying to supply essential services.
The emergency orders enable DHSEM to help communities meet those costs when their own resources are not enough.
Local authorities that want assistance must show that the cost of the response exceeds their resources and submit a request through DHSEM.
The National Guard is also on standby
The orders also tell the Adjutant General to send the New Mexico National Guard whenever necessary to help civil authorities.
This gives state officials another means of responding if local emergencies overwhelm resources or create a need for additional personnel and logistical support.
In reality, the orders provide funding for urgent response needs, as well as state resources that can be deployed when local agencies require extra help.
The timing is critical
This comes amid heavy rainfall that has flooded and damaged New Mexico, disrupting infrastructure, threatening routes, and endangering homes and businesses.
The governor’s office said more rain was expected.
Flooding threatened agricultural areas, for example, in New Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley, because the Rio Grande had been high after a period of severe dryness.
What residents should know
The executive orders do not mean that all residents affected by flooding will automatically receive cash; rather, they give government agencies the resources they need to handle the emergency and provide essential services in areas where local capacity has been exhausted.
The governor’s office requested that people follow officials’ directions, leave if instructed to do so, and never drive, walk, or swim in floodwater.
