Overview

• Cleanup and rebuilding are underway with thousands of volunteers and multi-state response teams making steady progress, according to state officials.
• Sen. Ruben Gallego said FEMA employees remain on the job during the shutdown and that aid timing hinges on assessments that typically take 30–60 days, with a 60-day submission window.
• FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund was reported as low at about $1.4 billion, prompting warnings that capacity for new large disasters may require congressional action.
• Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency to unlock additional state resources, and Gallego said a separate federal disaster declaration is not required for grant funding.
• The late-September flood killed three people and damaged at least 50 homes and many businesses, and Gallego is urging long-term Army Corps flood-control upgrades such as dredging and debris clearing.