The shutdown of the federal government means no emergency assistance funds for Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico.

President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration after the reservation was hit by three days of flooding in July. The Federal Emergency Management Agency started damage assessments but stopped work on October 1.

“They showed up last week to do their assessments as promised. The next thing you know, they can’t continue their work and they’re gone,” Gov. J. Bruce Tafoya told The Albuquerque Journal.

The tribe was hit by a major fire in 2011 that caused an estimated $39 million in damages. Subsequent flooding has caused more problems on the reservation.

So far, the tribe has received about $15 million in federal aid, the Journal reported.

Get the Story:
Shutdown holds up Santa Clara flood aid (The Albuquerque Journal 10/10)
Shutdown delays disaster aid to tribes (The Santa Fe New Mexican 10/10)

Related Stories:
Santa Clara Pueblo gets $11M in long-awaited emergency funds (07/30)