Navajo Nation to receive federal funds for severe winter flood damage

The Biden administration has granted federal funding to the Navajo Nation to aid in areas that were affected by severe storms and flooding from Jan. 14-17. Emergency repairs and other potential mitigation efforts will be funded by the funds.

The Navajo Nation, the biggest Native American reservation in the United States, which spans across Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, declared a state of emergency earlier this year when heavy snow, high winds, mud, and flooding conditions affected multiple communities.

The White House said in a statement on Tuesday, “Federal funding is available to the Navajo Nation and certain private non-profit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storms and flooding. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Navajo Nation.”

The winter storm struck the Defiance Plateau communities in need of immediate assistance a few days after the Navajo Nation’s President, Buu Nygren, was sworn in on Jan. 10. As a result, Division of Transportation resources were deployed to provide assistance.

Benigno B. Ruiz of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will lead the recovery operations in the damaged areas as the federal coordinating officer.

The statement concludes, “Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.”

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