Trump approves disaster relief for New Mexico mountain town battered by back-to-back floods

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RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — President Donald Trump has approved a federal disaster declaration for New Mexico after flash floods tore through a mountain village that had not yet recovered from a deadly flood that killed three people and damaged hundreds of homes three weeks prior.

The declaration allows Lincoln County residents to apply for several forms of Federal Emergency Management Agency aid, including home repair assistance, lodging reimbursement and medical coverage for injuries or illnesses caused by the disaster.

Severe storms last Wednesday brought flooding and landslides to an already damaged Ruidoso. At least five people who were trapped by the rushing water had to be rescued last Thursday.

The southern New Mexico community and its surrounding towns have been reeling this summer, with afternoon thunderstorms bringing more rain than the mountainsides can handle. Past wildfires have stripped the hills of trees and vegetation, leaving the Ruidoso area vulnerable to repeated flooding.