HOUSE MEMORIAL 84

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Derrick J. Lente and Sheryl Williams Stapleton

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT CONDUCT A REVIEW OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND COMMUNICATIONS ON A COUNTY-BY-COUNTY BASIS; REQUESTING A REPORT.

     WHEREAS, on January 8, 2018, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration issued a report on the costs of weather and climate events in 2017 in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, there were sixteen extreme weather and climate events in the United States in 2017 that created damages in excess of one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) each; and

     WHEREAS, the total national cost of weather and climate events for 2017 set a new record at approximately three hundred six billion dollars ($306,000,000,000); and

     WHEREAS, the damages from wildfires in the western United States in 2017 totaled approximately eighteen billion dollars ($18,000,000,000), three times the previous record; and

     WHEREAS, final figures for 2017 for weather disaster damage costs for New Mexico and a breakdown on a county-by-county basis are not currently available to the public; and

     WHEREAS, small rural and farming communities typically have limited internal resources to both prepare for and respond to weather disaster events, which increases their reliance on statewide planning and assistance; and

     WHEREAS, post-event review is critical to improving response efforts and communications systems for both state-to-local-agency and agency-to-general-public communications regarding natural disasters; and

     WHEREAS, on January 23, 2018, the national integrated drought information system published drought monitor statistics and a map for New Mexico showing that nearly ninety-four percent of New Mexico is experiencing drought conditions and nearly sixty percent is categorized as experiencing "severe drought"; and

     WHEREAS, while a drought is often an incrementally developing event, it can create the conditions for rapid catastrophic events;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the homeland security and emergency management department be requested to conduct a review of the damaging weather and climate events in 2017 in New Mexico, to include:

          A. an analysis of the adequacy of emergency preparation, response and communications systems for these events on a county-by-county basis;

          B. recommendations to improve emergency preparation, response and communications systems for each county, with cost estimates for each type of improvement; and

          C. a summary of the available federal, state and nonprofit funding sources that are currently available for emergency system improvements, including trends in the availability of those funds; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting its review, the homeland security and emergency management department actively engage county and tribal governments and the acequia commissions and boards of the land grants-mercedes in each county; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the homeland security and emergency management department report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative committee prior to that committee's final meeting in 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of homeland security and emergency management.

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