Homeland Security outlines disaster mapping tools and $50 million zero‑interest loan facility to speed recovery

Jeremy Class of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) briefed the committee on two initiatives to help rural jurisdictions respond to disasters: an expanding geospatial common operating picture for damage modeling and a state-managed zero-interest credit facility to get local projects started while federal reimbursement processes proceed.

DHSEM described use of satellite and local geospatial layers, USGS collaboration and debris-flow modeling after large wildfires to prioritize damage and to identify intersections with critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Class said the mapping work supports engineering planning and can be preloaded with locally held information so preliminary damage estimates and insurance checks can be produced quickly after an event.

Class also described a $50 million zero-interest loan program (Senate Bill 31) the state created to serve as a credit facility for entities with federally eligible public‑assistance projects. “That is going to be used as a credit facility,” he said, adding it is managed in concert with the Department of Finance and Administration and DHSEM; the loan program is meant to provide upfront cash so projects do not stall while FEMA obligations and reimbursements are finalized.

Why it matters: The common operating picture and the loan facility are intended to shorten the time between damage and repair by giving local governments preloaded asset data for damage assessments and by providing immediate capital for projects that otherwise would be delayed pending federal reimbursement. Class noted the difficulty small jurisdictions face meeting FEMA cost-share and match requirements and said the state facility is designed to be repaid once federal funds are obligated.

Class also said DHSEM is implementing CrisisTrack software to standardize emergency-operation-center information and to preload critical-infrastructure inventories and insurance data across counties to accelerate preliminary damage assessments. He said the state is using federal and state hazard-mitigation funds but noted federal program cuts in some hazard-mitigation lines and emphasized the need for coordinated state and local planning.

Ending: DHSEM said application materials for the loan facility and webinars will be available online (Amplifund) and invited jurisdictions to participate in technical discussions on preloading data for the common operating picture and CrisisTrack. The department said further implementation depends on available program funding and local engagement.