More than 100 people on Kewa Pueblo were advised by tribal officials Sunday to evacuate from their homes due to health hazards posed by mold that has developed in some residences following a hailstorm nine days ago.

About 90 percent of the 600 homes on Kewa Pueblo, formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo, were damaged by golf-ball sized hail during the storm Oct. 2, according to Mike Calabaza, incident commander for the pueblo. The hail punched holes through roofs and flooded houses with several inches of water.

As a result, all of the homes are battling significant mold infestations that are causing respiratory problems among residents.

"If they stay in the homes, they will get sick," said Dr. Anthony Fleg of the Native Health Initiative. "It's kind of inevitable ... even if they have no pre-existing health condition."

The pueblo has set up temporary shelters in office buildings in town for people who live in about 20 homes that suffered the worst damage, but many will not leave. The Native Health Initiative, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit, is handing out fliers explaining the dangers of mold to those who choose to stay in their houses.

"We do need help," said Joe Bird, Kewa Pueblo war chief. "I don't know what's going to happen."

On Sunday night, Gov. Bill Richardson declared a disaster at Kewa Pueblo, which releases $250,000 in emergency money. It also provides help from state agencies like the departments of health and environment, which could begin to combat the mold problem.

When asked earlier in the day why it had taken almost week for the state to respond to the pueblo's emergency declaration which had been submitted Oct. 5, Beverly Allen, public information officer for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said her office had sent someone to assess the situation last week.

"They haven't been neglected," she said. "It takes time. They may be in shelters, but there isn't a wall of water rushing through. There is no imminent danger."

The Chavez family might not agree. Five members of the family are living in one room of a three-bedroom house after severe roof damage left the rest of the home unlivable. Most of their furniture had to be thrown away as did their clothing due to mold.

Unfortunately, their story is not unique among the pueblo's 4,500 residents.

"I can't think of anyone who didn't get damage," Annette Chavez said.

The hardest hit area was the traditional pueblo village, where many of the homes date back 100 years. But even the newer housing projects suffered broken windows and cracked roofs.

Chavez remembers the night of storm well.

"Water rushed through the house like someone turned on a faucet," she said.

One foot of hail coated the ground and sat on the flat rooftops. Some houses were flooded during the storm, but all had water seep in as the hail started to melt. Two to three days after the storm, Chavez noticed she was starting to feel bad, and that's when she saw the mold creeping down her walls.

"We've been to the health clinic several times this week," said Chavez, as she looked around her home lined in plastic sheeting. Chavez suffers from asthma along with other family members, and the mold is especially problematic for them. But even those without breathing problems are feeling the effects.

"Even if they don't see (the mold), it's there," said Fleg.

But the mold problem isn't Chavez's primary concern. Her biggest worry is how the family will make a living. The storm destroyed 80 percent of the area crops, including corn, chile and alfalfa.

After the storm, Joe Bird went out to survey the fields of alfalfa, but instead found a sea of sand that had come down the hillside and covered the crops.

"It was awful," he said.

Jan Atencio, director of the tribal health programs, also remembers that day. "Fences were gone; hay was gone; corn was gone," she said. "Nobody is going to have a harvest."

This is especially bad news for people like the Chavez family, who make ends meet by selling blue corn, picked from their field, and homemade tamales made with their own chile.

"We lost the majority of our income," Chavez said.

A handful of groups, such as the Native Health Initiative and The University of New Mexico's Medical Reserve Corps, sent volunteers to pull out old roofs and move families out of their homes. They spent the weekend taking wet clothes and carpet out of homes.

"The smell of the mold made me want to barf," said Catherine Joy, a volunteer. "I really felt myself gag. And they have to live in that."

HOW TO HELP

Volunteer: If you would like to volunteer to help rebuild, move families or have a home for a displaced family to stay in, call 505-465-2214 ext. 252.

Donate: Monetary donations are being accepted at any Wells Fargo bank; specify donation to the Kewa Relief Fund. Kewa Pueblo also is in need of donations of cleaning and roofing supplies, tarps, protective face masks, latex and work gloves, nonperishable food, diapers, formula, new clothing, linens and blankets. Drop off items at the Kewa Pueblo Community Center.