New Mexico
Ruidoso businesses struggle following fires and floods
After weeks of devastating wildfires and floods in southern New Mexico, residents and business owners are trying to pick up the pieces and move on.
RUIDOSO, N.M. – After weeks of devastating wildfires and floods in southern New Mexico, residents and business owners are trying to pick up the pieces and move on.
It’s a hard task with the monsoon and ridiculously hot temps. It feels like that area just can’t catch a break.
As if all those troubles weren’t enough to overcome, businesses are now struggling to keep their doors open.
KOB 4 spoke with a business about the struggle to get make money. All the businesses we heard from say the same thing, they are open and ready for business. But they need people to come out and support them.
Employees at the Santa Fe Furniture and Gifts in Ruidoso Downs say they’ve noticed fewer tourists coming to town after the fires and the floods.
“It’s been a lot more, more dead. It’s not as many people have been coming through since the fires,” said Time Chavez, a Santa Fe Furniture and Gifts employee. “They’re (other businesses) afraid. Everybody is a little nervous, just kind of disheartened. I guess everybody’s just, they’re not sure on the eighth of town they’re going to pick back up again, or, well, what we’re going to.”
They say it seems like people don’t really know the area is back open, and it’s safe to return. Because of that, their summer season isn’t anywhere near as profitable as years past.
It’s causing business owners to start thinking of ways to save their stores, including cutting back hours.
This whole situation is also spurring some creativity. Since tourists are not shopping, businesses are asking locals to buy “Ruidoso Strong” merchandise.
“He sat down with us to kind of talk about things that we can do to maybe try and bring people in. We brought the ‘Ruidoso Strong’ T-shirts, which have been doing great. Just trying to find things that he’s definitely giving it a go to see if there’s things we can do to help business,” said Marissa Montoya, a Santa Fe Furniture and Gifts employee.
You don’t have to live in or drive down to Ruidoso to help those businesses, you can shop online too.