ACOMITA, N.M. – Federal disaster assistance has been approved for the Pueblo of Acoma after severe storms and flooding damaged parts of the community in late September 2025.
FEMA announced July 2 that President Donald J. Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the Pueblo of Acoma, making Public Assistance federal funding available to help with recovery efforts related to the storms and flooding that occurred Sept. 28–29, 2025.
According to FEMA, the funding is available to the Tribal Nation on a costsharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding. The declaration does not automatically mean all damage is covered, but it opens the door for the Pueblo to work through FEMA’s recovery process for eligible costs.
José M. Gil Montañez has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas, according to FEMA. Additional designations may be made later if requested and if further assessments show they are warranted.
Pueblo of Acoma leadership said Gov. Randall Riley was notified late Wednesday afternoon that FEMA had approved the Pueblo’s appeal for disaster relief funding related to the late September hailstorm.
The approval comes after months of work by Pueblo staff to document the storm’s impact and seek federal support. In a statement, the Pueblo thanked staff members, especially its emergency manager, for helping prepare what it described as a comprehensive and successful application.
“The Pueblo will now begin working closely with FEMA to complete the required processes and paperwork,” Pueblo officials said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we move through the necessary steps, and we encourage you to watch for future updates and announcements.”
The September storm had been a concern for Acoma families and tribal officials for months.
In April, the Pueblo asked Acoma citizens whose homes were damaged in the Sept. 28–29 storm to submit one- to two-page impact statements addressed to FEMA. The Pueblo said at the time that the statements were critical for securing federal disaster assistance and for documenting how the storm affected the community.
Those statements were part of the broader effort to show the damage caused by the storm and support the Pueblo’s request for federal assistance.
For Acoma residents, the declaration is an important step, but it is not the end of the process. The Pueblo will still need to complete required FEMA paperwork and recovery steps before funding can be applied to eligible emergency work and damaged public facilities.
Pueblo officials said future updates and announcements will be shared as the process moves forward.