A new foundation is being formed to help those continuing to be impacted by the fires and flooding that have plagued numerous New Mexico residents, especially those from San Miguel and Mora counties.

The Mora San Miguel Long Term Recovery Group recently held “Where Do We Go From Here” events to raise awareness. Dubbed “a supply distribution and resource fair,” the events were held at the Mora Senior Center and the Sala De Madrid at New Mexico Highlands University.

The Mora San Miguel Long Term Recovery Group was formed to add to the resources already available to those in need. “The amount that was provided by FEMA may not cover the entire cost of building a new home and so a lot of these families are still in need,” Foundation Co-Chair Edward Martinez told KRQE.

Mora County was devastated by the historic fires that ravaged the state earlier in the year. Now flooding that began in July has been a constant problem. Bridges are on the verge of collapsing, roads have eroded and cell service is poor. Bewildered residents are trying to deal with water damage to their homes, a lack of suitable water for daily use, plumbing issues, the removal of septic tanks and leach lines and sludge-contaminated wells. “This has been probably the most devastating experience Mora people have ever had, at least for the last 100 and some years,” County Commissioner Veronica Serna said recently.

The Department of Transportation and the National Guard are working to ensure roads can withstand flooding and give people access to and from their homes. Other state personnel are assisting emergency managers to deal with the disaster, public information officers to aid in communication and Department of Homeland Security staff to help with FEMA applications.