To read a copy of the emergency declaration approved Friday by the Mesilla board of trustees, click here.

LAS CRUCES - The force of Mother Nature has taken a toll on Mesilla.

Now, town officials have started the process to try to recoup damages. At a special meeting Friday of the Mesilla's board of trustees, a declaration of emergency was formally approved and submitted to the state of New Mexico, which in turn will submit an application to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). Mesilla hopes to receive $6,866 in federal funds to pay for repairs from damages caused by last week's severe winter storm.

Mesilla Fire Chief Kevin Hoban said an emergency declaration is different from a disaster declaration in that an emergency can apply to circumstances such as multiple days of severe weather, which were experienced last week. But Hoban added that a disaster would apply to a single event, such as a hurricane.

"The declaration was forwarded to the state, and then Gov. (Susana) Martinez would submit an application to FEMA for emergency assistance," Hoban said. "The president would then have the authority to declare an emergency, and at that time, federal funding could then be made available to those governmental entities that submitted emergency declarations to the state."

If federal funding is made available

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to Mesilla, it is possible that individual claims by residents could be submitted. But Hoban said any individual claims would only reimburse the costs of damage only to restore infrastructure to the condition it was in before the severe weather conditions.

"A lot would still depend on an individual's insurance," Hoban said. "It's important to note that any federal assistance that might be made available does not replace insurance. People should still file with their respective insurance company, and keep good records of what the damages were and how much they cost to fix."

Mayor Nora Barraza said Mesilla encountered numerous weather related problems.

"A water line broke at Town Hall, a pump for one of our water wells went out, there were numerous water meters that broke, there's some repairs to sprinklers at some town parks that have to be made, and there were some overtime costs for personnel," Barraza sad. "Altogether, it's going to cost a little more than $6,800 to fix all of those things."

Town Clerk Nick Eckert said the town's formal declaration of emergency is similar to those that were adopted last week by the city of Sunland Park and on Tuesday by Do-a Ana County. Late last week, FEMA announced it would make $700,000 federal emergency funds available to New Mexico because of problems caused by the weather.

"We had a deadline of noon Friday for Mesilla to formally approve a declaration of emergency and submit it to the state Department of Homeland Security," Eckert said. "It's the same action, the same manner, that Sunland Park and the county used in declaring emergencies. Those were done, like ours, to be eligible for federal funding."

FEMA has set a minimum of $3,000 in damages to be eligible for the federal funds. County officials are seeking about $15,000 in additional costs incurred during last week's bad weather.

Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452.

Emergency declaration

•Mesilla trustees approved a resolution Friday declaring a state of emergency caused by last week's severe weather.

•The declaration has been submitted to the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, and will also be forwarded to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for consideration of funding to reimburse the town for $6,866 in damages incurred during the winter storm.

•There were broken water pipes at Mesilla Town Hall, some broken water meters, a broken pump to a town water well, and damages to sprinkler systems to several town parks.

•The declaration could also allow Mesilla residents to file individual claims to FEMA for damages.

•The declaration is similar to those filed by Do-a Ana County and the city of Sunland Park.