The Democratic Party of New Mexico is connecting recent deadly flooding in Lincoln County to federal budget cuts that have reduced staffing at weather forecasting offices across the state, including the National Weather Service office that covers the flood-hit area.
Three people died Tuesday when flash flooding struck Ruidoso, including a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy who were swept away at an RV park. The Rio Ruidoso reached a record 20.24 feet, 5 feet higher than the previous record set just last year.
The flooding occurred when heavy monsoon rains fell on burn scar areas from last year’s devastating South Fork and Salt fires, creating dangerous conditions that led to rapid water rise throughout the Lincoln County community.
The Albuquerque National Weather Service office, which covers two-thirds of New Mexico, including Ruidoso, is currently operating with significant staffing shortages. The office is down 5 meteorologists out of 15 — a 33% vacancy rate — according to the National Weather Service Employees Organization.
Nationwide, the Weather Service has lost about 600 employees this year due to staff cuts, voluntary departures and other reductions, representing a 15% reduction in staff. The cuts are part of broader federal budget reduction efforts.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Democratic Party of New Mexico said the recent floods in Lincoln County and recent catastrophic flooding in Texas “have only been made worse by the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate cuts and ineptitude.”
The party statement said, “Trump and DOGE are responsible for critical job cuts at the very offices in the very agency responsible for emergency alerts in Central Texas.”
The party also criticized what it called “Kristi Noem’s clumsy handling of FEMA,” referring to the Homeland Security Secretary’s oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The New Mexico Democrats’ statement connected the Lincoln County tragedy to flooding in Texas that killed at least 120 people over the July Fourth weekend, with 96 deaths in Kerr County alone.
The National Weather Service office covering the Texas flood region had 6 of 27 positions vacant during the deadly flooding, according to agency data.
The Lincoln County flooding comes as New Mexico continues recovering from multiple natural disasters. The state currently has active FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declarations for ongoing fires including the Cotton Fire and Trout Fire.
Emergency management officials nationwide have reported communication restrictions affecting disaster response coordination, with some saying they have been “ghosted” by FEMA amid new federal policies limiting agency communications.
The Democratic Party statement concluded by demanding “Republicans wake up and realize that worsening weather events and their bureaucratic mismanagement are costing lives.”
Recovery efforts continue in Lincoln County, with emergency crews having conducted 50-60 swift-water rescues during Tuesday’s flooding event. The Ruidoso Community Center remains open as a temporary shelter for displaced residents.