VADO, New Mexico (KTSM) — One week after flooding swept through Vado, New Mexico, volunteers with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief are preparing to begin full-scale cleanup operations.
Crews spent this week walking through neighborhoods and surveying homes that sustained damage in last week’s flood.
“Right now this week, we’re just gathering the intel and surveilling the properties that we’re going to be doing the cleanup on,” said Rick Donnelly, a Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer. “We’re going to start on Monday.”
Donnelly said the group works to provide free assistance to those who need it most.
“We like to help low income and needy people, especially disabled people and elderly people,” he said. “That’s kind of our schtick.”
The work includes clearing out flood-damaged materials and treating homes for mold.
“We power wash homes with Shockwave to prevent mold from growing,” Donnelly said. “And we basically present the home back to the owner so that it’s ready to go into reconstruction with a contractor and try to save that money.”
Crews are wearing protective gear due to concerns about air quality in the damaged homes.
“The flood was only last week. The mold is already growing,” he said. “There’s stuff in the air like this. Our eyes are burning.”
Donnelly said volunteers have witnessed the emotional toll disasters like this take on residents.
“We see a lot of people that are really in despair,” he said. “They don’t have a place to put their stuff. They’re just kind of overwhelmed, and just trying to be sympathetic and supportive of them is a part of our ministry.”
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief crews say they plan to remain in the area as long as needed.
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