♪ MUSIC REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

HELLO, I'M LORENE MILLS, AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA F. OUR GUEST TODAY IS THE MAYOR OF ROSWELL AND FORMER SENATOR FOR 34 YEARS, TIM JENNINGS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>TIM: GLAD TO BE HERE, LORENE, ALWAYS FUN, ALWAYS LOVED YOU AND ERNIE BOTH, GREAT FRIENDS.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR SO LONG AND YOU WERE SENATOR, IT WAS DISTRICT TWO FROM ROSWELL.

YOU EVEN SERVED AS PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE SENATE IN THOSE 34 YEARS OF BEING A SENATOR.

YOU MANAGED TO HOLD EVERY LEADERSHIP POST IN THE SENATE EXCEPT FOR ONE.

MINORITY WHIP, MAJORITY WHIP, NOT MINORITY LEADER, MAJORITY LEADER, ALL THE WAY UP TO PRESIDENT PRO TEM.

>>TIM: I WAS VERY FORTUNATE.

>>LORENE: WELL, YOU HAVE A LOT OF GIFTS.

YOU HAVE A REALLY COMFORTABLE WAY, A NICE COUNTRY, HUMOROUS WAY OF DEALING WITH PEOPLE.

I WOULD JUST WANT TO READ, AFTER ALL THE SERIOUSNESS, AFTER ALL THE YEARS OF BEING A SENATOR, YOUR COLLEAGUE, SENATOR DEDE FELDMAN, SAID THIS ABOUT YOU.

"TIM JENNINGS IS A 34 YEAR SENATE VETERAN, HE IS ONE OF A KIND.

HE LOVED THE SENATE DEARLY AND BROUGHT A COUNTRY CHARM THAT MAY BE THE LAST OF ITS KIND.

WHO ELSE WOULD BRING CHICKENS ONTO THE FLOOR AND COMPLAIN THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COCKFIGHTING BAN IN 2007, THEY WERE FACING MASSIVE LAYOFFS.

WHO ELSE WOULD COMPARE HIMSELF TO VIPS BIG BOY OR BRING TWO TIN CANS WITH STRINGS ATTACHED TO EMPHASIZE HOW EASY IT WOULD BE FOR THE GOVERNOR TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE SENATE."

SO WELCOME, YOUR EXPERIENCE, THE WISDOM AND THE VISION, BUT ALSO THE LIGHT TOUCH AND THE SENSE OF HUMOR, THANK YOU.

I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE FLOODS IN ROSWELL BECAUSE YOU HAVE HAD EPIC, EPIC FLOODS, I THINK YOU TOLD ME, THAT MAYBE 991, ALMOST A THOUSAND HOMES HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AND WHO HAD FLOOD INSURANCE.

VEHICLES EVERYWHERE WERE SUBMERGED, PEOPLE HAD TO BE RESCUED, I'D LIKE YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.

THE MUSEUM, ALL THE ART, YOU HAD AN ART COLLECTION WORTH $36 MILLION AND THREE SEMIS OF PAINTINGS HAD TO GO TO CHICAGO TO TRY TO BE RESTORED.

ALL THE ELECTRONICS, ALL THE COMPUTERS, EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED.

THE CIVIC CENTER WAS UNDER 5 1/2 FT OF WATER, YOU SPENT ALL NIGHT STOPPING TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE BRIDGES WENT OUT, THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED ALL WEEK, THE BUSSES DIDN'T WORK, LORD HAVE MERCY.

SO WHEN DID THEY FIRST TELL YOU, AS MAYOR, THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM AND WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE FLOODING?

>>TIM: OH, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED RAINING ABOUT 6:30 OR 7:00, AND I WAS ON THE ROAD TO GO PICK SOMEBODY UP, IT WAS RAINING SO HARD I COULDN'T SEE.

THEN THE HAIL STARTED AND I PULLED UNDER AN AWNING AT A GAS STATION AND THAT LET UP A LITTLE BIT.

I WENT AND PICKED THEM UP AND IT RAINED EXTREMELY HARD ALL THE WAY, THEN I STOPPED, GOT IN MY CAR LATER WHEN I WAS GOING HOME, IT WAS ABOUT 9 OR 930 ON THE TRUCK RELIEF ROUTE BECAUSE THE ROADS IN ROSWELL WERE FLOODED, THE SPRING RIVER FLOODED.

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GO THROUGH TOWN, SO I WENT AROUND ON THE HIGHEST ROAD AROUND TOWN, ABOUT 3 1/2 FEET HIGHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE AND WHEN I WAS GOING AROUND BETWEEN POE AND BRASHER ROAD, THE WATER WAS A FOOT-18 INCHES OVER THE ROAD AND IT WAS THE HIGHEST ROAD, THAT WAS AT 9PM.

BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE THEY JUST HAD SOME ISSUES.

I WENT HOME AND I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM A FRIEND AT 12:02 ASKING ME JUST TO FIND SOMEBODY, HE WAS A CATERER AT THE CIVIC CENTER FOR A QUINCEAÑERA, THAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE CIVIC CENTER THAT NIGHT.

HE SAID HE WAS SOMEWHERE ON THE ROOF OF THEIR TRUCK, AND THEY WERE FLOATING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM AND COULD I FIND SOMEBODY, CALL SOMEBODY TO COME HELP THEM?

SO I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN I GOT IN MY TRUCK TO COME DOWN AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

I GOT AS FAR AS SECOND AND MAIN AND I HAD TO BACKUP, THE WATER WAS TOO DEEP AND I HAVE ONE TON DODGE TRUCK, IT'S GOT TALLER TIRES, IT'S NOT ELEVATED, BUT IT'S HIGHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

I COULDN'T GET DOWNTOWN AND SO I WAS STILL NINE BLOCKS AWAY FROM MY FRIEND, SO I BACKED IT UP AND I STARTED STOPPING TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE DIDN'T NEED ANYBODY ELSE GOING DOWN MAIN STREET GETTING IN IT, WE DON'T NEED MORE CARS TO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IN AN EMERGENCY.

IT WAS HORRID AND I STAYED THERE ALL NIGHT, JUST STOPPING TRAFFIC.

FINALLY IT SLACKED UP A LITTLE BIT AND I COULD MOVE TO SECOND STREET, WHERE EVERY STREET ACROSS SECOND STREET, GOING NORTH WAS STOPPED.

ALL THE BRIDGES, EVERYTHING WAS FLOODED, IN ALAMEDA, THE WATER WAS 18IN TO 2FT DEEP, ALAMEDA AND MAIN, IT WAS LIKE A RIVER GOING DOWN THERE.

IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE, I DID FIND OUT THAT THE FIREMEN LATER FOUND MY FRIEND, THEY FOUND HIM ON A POST ACROSS THE RIVER, ACROSS MAIN STREET, HANGING ON A POST AND HIS SON WAS IN A TREE.

THE SON ACTUALLY POINTED OUT HIS DAD AND THEY WENT AND GOT HIM AND HIS BODY TEMPERATURE WAS LIKE 50 DEGREES.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOSH.

>>TIM: HE COULDN'T HAVE LASTED MUCH LONGER, WE WERE REALLY LUCKY.

WE HAD TWO DEATHS RELATED TO THIS, ONE WAS A DROWNING, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS A HEART ATTACK.

WE EVACUATED ALL THE PEOPLE FROM THE QUINCEAÑERA, THEY HAD TO EXIT THAT BUILDING UP THROUGH THE ROOF OF ONE BUILDING AND ON TO THE ROOF OF THE WHOLE BUILDING.

WHICH MEANS YOU HAD 90 YEAR OLD PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WITH BABIES GOING UP A CAGED ACCESS PANEL TO THE ROOF.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOSH.

>>TIM: THEY WERE EVACUATED THE NEXT MORNING, 125 OR 150 PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED FROM THE ROOF WITH LADDER FIRETRUCKS.

>>LORENE: THEY HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT UP ON THE ROOF?

>>TIM: YES, MA'AM.

THEY WERE ON THERE ALL NIGHT, THEY HAD NO SHELTERS, NO TENTS.

THEY DID HAVE SOME COVERS THAT THEY TORE UP OR CUT UP WHERE THEY HAD SOME KIND OF INDIVIDUAL COVERS FOR THE RAIN.

WE COULDN'T GET THERE UNTIL THE RIVER WENT DOWN.

IT WAS 5 AND A HALF FEET BETWEEN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, THREE AND ONE HALF FEET GOING AROUND THE BUILDING ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THERE WAS A TRUCK THAT FLOATED INTO THE GAS VALVE BOX, IT WAS SHOOTING GAS.

THAT TRUCK WAS STUCK ON TOP OF THE METAL STRUCTURE THAT WAS THERE TO PROTECT COMMUNICATIONS AND STUFF INTO THE CIVIC CENTER.

IT WAS STUCK UP THERE THREE FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, IT WAS A FORD PICKUP WITH, YOU KNOW, IT'S TAIL IN THE AIR, IT WAS A LITTLE CRAZY.

>>LORENE: SO, THE ART, I'M INTERESTED IN THE ART BECAUSE, YOU'VE GOT A WONDERFUL MUSEUM DOWN THERE WITH AN ART COLLECTION VALUED AT 36 MILLION.

>>TIM: OUR ART COLLECTION IS VALUED AT $300,000,000.

>>LORENE: I'M SO SORRY.

>>TIM: IT'S $300 MILLION, WE HAVE A GEORGIA O-KEEFE THAT'S ALMOST WORTH THAT MUCH.

OUR COLLECTION IS 300 MILLION, WE HAD 4 1/2 FEET OF WATER INSIDE THE MUSEUM.

IT DESTROYED VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING IN THERE, EVEN THE KILNS AND STUFF.

WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS POTTING SECTION, CLASSES, POTTERY GROUP IN OUR MUSEUM.

ALL THEIR KILNS, EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED.

THAT WAS A BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT DURING THE WPA, PART OF IT IS ADOBE, PART OF IT IS BRICK, PART OF IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

WE HIRED REFRIGERATOR TRUCKS, FREEZER TRUCKS TO COME IN TAKE ALL THE PAINTINGS THAT WERE DAMAGED, THEY TAKE THEM TO CHICAGO AND THEN THEY FREEZE THEM ON THE WAY, I GUESS THEY RESTORE THE PAINTINGS.

WE'RE NOT LIKE THE STATE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO PAY OUR BILLS FOR OUR MUSEUM.

THE CITY PAYS FOR IT AND WE CAN ONLY AFFORD COVERAGE FOR ABOUT $35 MILLION WORTH OF ART, THAT'S ALL WE CAN AFFORD TO COVER.

I SIGNED A BILL FOR LIKE A MILLION BUCKS TO GET THEM, $850,000 OR 1 MILLION BUCKS TO GET THOSE TRUCKS TO COME HERE AND TAKE THEM TO CHICAGO TO RESTORE THEM.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY, THEY TELL US IT'S GOING TO BE AS MUCH AS $12 MILLION TO RESTORE OUR MUSEUM.

>>LORENE: SO, WHO CAN HELP PAY, IS FEMA HELPING YOU, CAN THE LEGISLATURE PASS SOME SPECIAL EMERGENCY MONEY.

THIS IS AN APOCALYPTIC DELUGE, YOU KNOW.

>>TIM: YOU KNOW RUIDOSO JUST HAPPENED 2 OR 3 MONTHS AHEAD AND SO WE'VE SEEN THAT, THE LEGISLATURE WAS VERY GENEROUS WITH RUIDOSO, BUT THEY LOST SO MUCH.

I MEAN, THEY LOST THEIR MAJOR INDUSTRIES, YOU KNOW, THE RACETRACK, THEY LOST ALL KINDS OF THINGS, BUT THEY CAME, THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT I SAW, THE FIRST WHEN I STOPPED IN THE FIRE STATION, THERE WERE THREE TRUCKS FROM LINCOLN COUNTY HERE TO HELP.

WE HELPED THEM AND BY GOSH, THEY'VE HELPED US.

IT'S BEEN FANTASTIC.

CARLSBAD SENT THREE GRAPPLER TRUCKS HERE AND A BLACKED UP TRASH TRUCK.

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH USE THEY'VE HAD.

OUR BIGGEST HINDRANCE IS THE CDL LICENSE PEOPLE CAN ONLY DRIVE SO MANY HOURS A DAY, AND WE'RE UP AGAINST THAT ALL DAY LONG, JUST TRYING TO GET RID OF THE TRASH THAT'S OUT THERE.

IT'S NOT TRASH.

>>LORENE: IT'S RUINED... >>TIM: PERSONAL PRODUCTS, PERSONAL GOODS.

WE HAVE TO HAUL THEM OFF BECAUSE THEY'RE DESTROYED.

EVERY COUCH, EVERY BED, THEY COUNTED 991 HOUSES IN ROSWELL, BUT THAT DOESN'T EVEN TOUCH MIDWAY, IT DOESN'T TOUCH, YOU KNOW, 50 HOUSES IN MIDWAY, PROBABLY A HUNDRED HOUSES IN DEXTER AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE HOUSES, WE HAD TWO MAJOR RIVERS THAT FLOODED, THE HONDO AND THE SPRING RIVER.

IT'S CRAZY.

YOU KNOW, OUR RIVER CHANNEL WAS ONLY BUILT TO HOLD 1100 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND OF WATER, THROUGH TOWN IT ONLY HOLDS, YOU KNOW, 13 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND TO WATER.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH MAYOR TIM JENNINGS, THE MAYOR OF ROSWELL, ABOUT THE FLOODS AND HOW THEY'RE DEALING WITH IT.

IT'S WONDERFUL THAT YOU URGE PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR RUINED STUFF OUT ON THE CURB, AND YOU HAD TRUCKS COME AND TAKE THEM TO THE OLD AIRPORT AND PUT IT IN RECYCLING, APPLIANCES, FABRIC THAT THAT CAN NEVER BE SAVED.

IT WAS VERY RESOURCEFUL THAT YOU HAD A PLACE TO PUT IT AND YOU COULD GET IT AWAY, IT'S SO SAD, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SEE THEIR BELONGINGS ON THE CURB BECAUSE ANY ELECTRONICS ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, ANY BEDDING AND THE COUCHES, THERE'S JUST THE LOSS IS SO OVERWHELMING.

I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, THE WHOLE STATE IS WITH YOU, AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU NEED, WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE, WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO HELP, WHAT DO YOU NEED THE MOST AND THE WHOLE STATE IS WITH YOU, SO LET ME KNOW.

TELL US NOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.

>>TIM: YOU KNOW, THE GREATEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND GREEDY, BUT IS MONEY BECAUSE WE LOST SO MANY BUILDINGS, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PLACES TO STORE THINGS AND TO STORE THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH.

AT PIONEER BANK, THERE'S AN ACCOUNT SET UP, TO COME TO ROSWELL, ANY MONEY THEY SEND TO PIONEER BANK, ANY PIONEER BANK, GIVE THEM THE ACCOUNT NUMBER, THEY WILL SET THAT AND WE CAN GET, THEY'LL COME THROUGH AND THEY'LL MAKE A DECISION HOW MUCH MONEY GOES TO WHAT AND WHERE TO GO.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE WAITING ON FEMA, THE STATE RESPONDED VERY QUICKLY.

I CALLED THE GOVERNOR AT LIKE 1:09 OR SOMETHING IN THE MORNING, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CALLED ME BACK LATER, MAYBE 45 MINUTES LATER AND I TOLD HIM WE HAD TO HAVE THE NATIONAL GUARD AND STUFF.

I MEAN, WE WERE REALLY FLOODING.

WE HAD 350 RESCUES OF PEOPLE STRANDED AND THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS A GREAT HELP, WE LOST FOUR FIRE TRUCKS, TWO LADDER TRUCKS AND TWO PUMPING TRUCKS, TRYING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE WATER TO SAVE PEOPLE ON RESCUES FROM OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES.

SO WE HAD A LOT OF, WE HAD A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON.

>>LORENE: DIDN'T YOU ALSO LOSE NINE CRUISERS, POLICE CRUISERS?

>>TIM: WE LOST TEN POLICE CARS.

GOSH THEY EVEN HAD THE SHERIFF ON THE HEAD OF A CAR, HE GOT HIS PICKUP STUCK.

SO, YOU KNOW, HE ALWAYS LIKES THE GLAMOUR, HE DOES REAL WELL, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT A NEW KNEE, HE'S LIKE ME, I HAVE A BAD ELBOW AND A BAD SHOULDER, IT'S HARD TO GET UP ON THE TOP OF YOUR TRUCK.

HE SAID WHEN HE WAS UP THERE, HE HAD A BOAT FLOAT INTO HIM.

IT WASN'T UNTIL LATER HE SAW THE BOAT WAS STILL ON THE TRAILER.

PEOPLE ARE HELPING PEOPLE, IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HELPING, NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS A BLESSING IT'S THAT PEOPLE GOT TO KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS BETTER AND THEY'RE HELPING PEOPLE, THEY'RE HELPING EACH OTHER.

IT'S A REKINDLING OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT, NOTHING IS GOING TO KEEP US DOWN.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TURN AROUND, WE LOST TWO PEOPLE, WHICH WAS TRAGIC.

BUT YOU KNOW, OUR ZOO WAS DEMOLISHED, I MEAN, WE LOST THE TRAIN TRACKS TO THE TRAIN, WE LOST FENCES, THERE ARE THE WALLS, THE LION'S WALLS ARE WASHED OUT GOING THROOUGH THERE.

WE HAD CARS WASHED ALL THE WAY ACROSS, AND WE LOST A DONKEY.

YOU KNOW THE NICE THING ABOUT ROSWELL IS YOU KNOW, I'M A DEMOCRAT, THEY ELECTED ME, I'M HERE, BUT I LOVE THE TOWN AND PEOPLE, LOVE PEOPLE.

WE SAW WHAT THEY DID, OUR TOWN DID IN RUIDOSO, AND IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE WHAT CARLSBAD, HOBBS, YOU KNOW, LINCOLN COUNTY, ALAMOGORDO, THEY'VE ALL BEEN HERE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?

THAT IS NEW MEXICO, THAT'S NEW MEXICO, FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND WE LOVE EACH OTHER AND WE HELP EACH OTHER.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT, I LOVE OUR STATE AND WE'RE GOING TO COME THROUGH THIS.

THIS WAS A 500 PLUS YEAR STORM, THEY SAID 5.76 OR SOMETHING INCHES, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THROUGHOUT ROSWELL, WE HAD 7 1/2 TO 8 1/2 INCHES, UP TO TEN INCHES DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WERE.

BUT WHEN YOU GO SOUTH OF SECOND AND MAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK, THAT STORM HIT DOWNTOWN AND IT WENT SOUTH TOWARDS THE AIR BASE AND IT WAS TERRIBLE FLOODING.

WE HAVE TWO DAMS OUT THERE, THE ROCKY ARROYO HOLDS 120,000 ACRE FEET AND HONDO DAM HOLDS 12,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER.

FROM OUR CALCULATIONS HERE, WE COULD HAVE FILLED UP THAT 120,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER WITH WATER THAT WAS NOT CAUGHT IN THAT DAM, WE COULD HAVE FILLED THAT IN 14 HOURS, 120,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER.

THAT'S PRETTY QUICK TO FILL UP A DAM THAT BIG, IN 14 HOURS.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD A BIG DEAL.

>>LORENE: SO THE SCHOOLS HAD TO BE CLOSED FOR A WEEK, AND THE BUSES DIDN'T WORK.

>>TIM: THE BUSES HAD TRASH, ALL THE STICKS AND TWIGS AND EVERYTHING GOT INTO THE BUSES, ALL IN THEIR EXHAUST TANK, HAD TO CLEAN EVERYTHING OUT BEFORE YOU COULD GO ON.

>>LORENE: WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMES DO YOU THINK HAD FLOOD INSURANCE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT ONE WOULD THINK OF IN ROSWELL.

>>TIM: YOU KNOW, FOR MOST PEOPLE TO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MORTGAGE ON YOUR HOME AND IT'S FOR A 100-YEAR STORM.

SO THOSE PEOPLE THAT LIVE CLOSE TO THE RIVERS, WERE IN THE 100-YEAR AREA, BUT IF YOU'RE A 500-YEAR STORM, WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE MILES FROM THE FLOOD AREA THAT WERE FLOODED.

WHEN OUR CHANNEL THAT COMES FROM THE DAM ONLY HOLDS 1100 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND AND THE AREA THAT GOES ACROSS FROM TWIN DAMS TO THE AIR BASE, COULD PROVIDE AS MUCH AS, THIS IS 10,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND OF WATER, WE DIDN'T HAVE NEAR ENOUGH TO HANDLE ANY OF IT.

IT WAS A 500 YEAR STORM AND IT WAS DEVASTATING.

AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE DAMS, THE BIG DAM, WE CAN'T EVEN CLOSE OFF, THERE'S NOT A GATE ON IT, WE PARTITIONED THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR 30 OR 40 OR 50 YEARS, TO PUT A GATE ON THERE SO WE CAN CONTROL THE WATER.

THIS FLOOD, THE WATER LEVEL WENT DOWN DRASTICALLY PRETTY QUICK.

SO WE COULD HAVE OPENED THAT AND WE COULD HAVE CONTROLLED SOME OF THE WATER, NOT ALL, BUT WE COULD HAVE CONTROLED SOME OF IT BETTER.

HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE OFF THE BIG DAM AND LET THE LOCAL FLOODING GO INTO THAT AND GO THROUGH TOWN BEFORE IT GOT INTO THE BIG MASSIVE FLOODING THAT WE HAD.

>>LORENE: I'M ADDING UP ALL THIS RECOVERY MONEY IN MY MIND, AND I'M HOPING THAT FEMA CAN HELP PAY FOR IT AND THE STATE, OF COURSE, SINCE I KNOW THE GOVERNOR DECLARED YOU ALL A DISASTER COUNTY AND BRING IN NATIONAL GUARD AND FEDERAL FUNDS AND STUFF, BUT OTHER WAYS, THE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT KIND OF FLOOD INSURANCE, THEY'RE OUT.

AND WHERE ARE ALL THOSE PEOPLE STAYING WITH A THOUSAND HOMES DAMAGED, DESTROYED.

>>TIM: YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE HAVE CLEANED UP, A LOT OF THEM HAVE CLEANED UP THEIR HOUSES WHERE THEY CAN.

THERE'S SOME, THEY CAN'T, BUT MOST PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THEIR HOUSES CLEANED UP WITH THE HELP OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND EVERYBODY ELSE GETTING THEIR HOUSES CLEANED UP.

SLEEPING ON FLOORS OR THEY'RE FINDING SOMETHING TO SLEEP ON, BUT THEY'RE INSIDE THEIR HOMES, MAKING THE BEST OF IT, THAT'S WHAT THEY REALLY HAVE.

HOTELS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING WITH FRIENDS.

AND, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT HAPPENS, PEOPLE END UP TOGETHER A LOT.

SO THAT'S WORKING OUT.

FEMA IS HERE, THEY'RE GOING DOOR TO DOOR NOW, AND WE ARE WAITING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER.

WE THINK IT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT DISASTER, I MEAN, A 500-YEAR STORM, BUT THIS IS MORE LIKE 750 OR 1000-YEAR STORM, SO WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT.

THE GOVERNOR HAS ISSUED, WE'VE ISSUED OUR PROCLAMATION, THE COUNTY'S ISSUED ONE, THE GOVERNOR HAS ISSUED ONE.

WE'RE WAITING FOR FEMA'S ACTIONS OR FOR THE PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS TO DECLARE THIS A NATIONAL DISASTER.

THAT DOES HELP, YOU KNOW, FEMA WILL THEN PAY 100% OF A LOT OF THE COST WE HAVE TO RECOUP AND BE ABLE TO RECOUP THAT, RATHER THAN US HAVING TO PAY 25% AND THEY PAY 75%.

I'M HOPING THAT THE PRESIDENT WILL DO THAT, MAYBE TOMORROW IS WHAT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN GET THAT THROUGH.

THERE'S NO DOUBT WE CLEARLY MEET THIS STORM LEVEL, WE'VE HAD WELL OVER $500 MILLION WORTH OF DAMAGE.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR CIVIC CENTER, WE HAVE A FORD DEALER AND HIS USED CAR LOT THEY CAME OUT WHEN I WAS WORKING ON A BRIDGE THAT WASHED OUT, STOPPING TRAFFIC THROUGH THAT, THE NEXT DAY AFTER ALL THIS, WHEN IT KIND OF COOLED DOWN, BUT THAT DAM WAS OUT AND I WENT OVER STOPPING TRAFFIC THERE AND THE USED CAR MANAGER CAME UP AND SAID, I'VE GOT 40 CARS WE CAN'T FIND THEM.

THEIR LOT WAS HALF A BLOCK AWAY, WE CAN'T FIND THEM, WHERE DID THEY GO.

>>LORENE: DOWNSTREAM.

>>TIM: THEY WENT DOWN THE RIVER.

WE HAD FIVE OR SIX OF THEM AT THE RAILROAD BRIDGE.

SOME IN THE ZOO, THEY WERE EVERYWHERE, CARS WERE EVERYWHERE.

>>LORENE: TIM, WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE A WEBSITE OR A PHONE NUMBER WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL AND FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION OR GET HELP.

>>TIM: PIONEER BANK HAS AN ACCOUNT SET UP FOR THE PEOPLE OF ROSWELL, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

IF YOU CAN GIVE SOME MONEY TO PIONEER BANK, 575 624-5200 IS PIONEER BANK.

IF YOU COULD CALL AND ASK THEM THE ACCOUNT NUMBER THEY CAN TELL YOU HOW TO SEND IT TO THEM.

THAT WOULD HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT AND WE'LL HELP ALL THE PEOPLE WE CAN.

FEMA SHOULD BE GIVING SOME CHECKS OUT, THEY DID IN RUIDOSO, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO QUALIFY, WE'RE BIGGER THAN RUIDOSO JUST IN THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE.

>>LORENE: THANK YOU TIM.

IT'S A GIFT TO US TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH, HOW WE CAN HELP, AND ALL THE THINGS, THE STEPS THAT YOU'VE HAD TO GO THROUGH, SCHOOLS CLOSED, BUSES, ELECTRONICS, ART, IT'S BEEN A HIT ON SO MANY LEVELS.

AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THE STATE IS WITH YOU AND I MYSELF AM REALLY PROUD OF YOU AND GRATEFUL.

HARD AND CHALLENGING AS IT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE REALLY BEEN THERE FOR PEOPLE AS MAYOR, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, AGAIN, HELPING EACH OTHER.

>>TIM: I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE, THE PEOPLE HAVE PLACED THEIR TRUST IN ME AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I'M HERE UP FOR THE CHALLENGE.

WE'RE GOING TO GET IT RIGHT.

JUST TELL THE PEOPLE IT'S SO GREAT TO BE A NEW MEXICAN, WHEREVER THE DISASTER IS, WE'RE ALL HERE FOR EACH OTHER, AND IT IS FANTASTIC.

I'M VERY HONORED THE PEOPLE ALLOW ME TO SERVE THEM AND I WOULD JUST ADD, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY, SEE IF THEY NEED A BOTTLE OF WATER, GIVE THEM A SMILE AND A HUG AND EVERYTHING'S GOING TO GET BETTER BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING IT BETTER IN ROSWELL.

>>LORENE: THANK YOU.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS THE MAYOR OF ROSWELL, TIM JENNINGS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AND I'M LORENE MILLS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU OUR AUDIENCE, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

♪ MUSIC