Taylor Rees Instagram – *CALL FOR SUPPORT*
When Maria and her cousins flagged me down off the highway, it was a bit to their disappointment that I was not indeed the Red Cross who they’d been waiting for, for days. The land in their community outside Medanales, NM had just been washed out under their feet after the Rio Chama jumped its banks and completely flooded the area. That arroyo you see in these photos? It wasn’t there before. It was land, with soil and grass. Trailers were moved, cars burried or taken down river, homes are teetering on the edge. “This has been a wake up call,” Maria said. “This kind of flooding hasn’t happened in decades but will probably be happening more. And what we’ve realized most is it’s pretty much up to us to take care of this situation ourselves, for our families and each other, at the moment. Not a lot of help has come yet.” Maria, myself, Jacob and Matthew spent the better part of the afternoon digging out access to their drinking water well valves, turning it off to prevent water loss and contaminated back flooding. They are trying to restore drinking water access for Maria’s mom across the new arroyo. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the laughter and shit talking and joy was all time, and it was such a great day for new friendships. I do believe the government of New Mexico is indeed mobilizing a plan, as there’s a lot of flooding emergencies around the whole state, so there will be some action. But if you are compelled, immediate support is needed. I’m collecting funds (please DM me for info) and sending every dollar directly to Maria’s family. If you have experience or resources in a greater capacity to help with cleanup and rebuild, DM me and I can put you in touch with the right people. ♥️ | Posted on 02/Jul/2024 00:04:15
