San Juan River hits 31-foot crest as Four Corners towns face sewage risks
One death was reported in Santa Fe, and residents in Utah and New Mexico are returning to neighborhoods where water levels remain high and contamination is possible.
By David Bennett ·
The San Juan River reached a projected crest of 31 feet on Monday in the Four Corners region, submerging parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. This water level sits just one foot below the record set in 1927. A flood warning remained active for portions of the area as cleanup efforts began.
The National Weather Service reported the river was 1.5 feet above flood stage at 23 feet early Monday. Forecasters anticipated the water would drop below that threshold by Tuesday morning. The surge followed days of excessive rainfall that started on Wednesday, causing rivers to rise rapidly and forcing water rescues across the region.
One person died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday during a vehicle rescue in a flooded arroyo. The county sheriff's office stated that a female passenger was swept from the vehicle and found a mile downstream. A father and child successfully reached land during the incident.
In Bluff, Utah, residents who were evacuated over the weekend were permitted to return to their properties early Monday. Local officials advised caution because several properties remained underwater. In the Farmington area of New Mexico, receding waters left hundreds of residents without power, though many had already been displaced.
San Juan County, New Mexico, did not have official totals for damaged homes or evacuees, according to spokesperson Devin Neeley. He described the area as an active disaster zone. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard visited the county on Monday to assess damage and meet with residents.
Wilfred Franklin Jr., district manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, said wastewater facilities and holding ponds in the Shiprock area sustained damage. This released sewage into the San Juan River. In Bloomfield, New Mexico, Zach and Abigail Flatt evacuated their home on Thursday evening after receiving a phone alert. Their property, located on the river, flooded to a depth of 18 inches.
Zach Flatt recalled the water rising four feet in 30 to 40 minutes. The family watched via webcam as 22 of their 24 chickens were washed away. San Juan County Fire and Rescue Chief David Vega urged residents to be patient, noting that hazards such as broken gas lines and contaminated water persist. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were conducting house-to-house inspections that could take days.
New Mexico's congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump to declare a state emergency on Sunday to unlock federal funds. Forecasters attributed the heavy rainfall to El Niño, a warming pattern in the Pacific Ocean. This storm followed two months of intermittent heavy rain that ended a period of regional drought.
Source: ABC News
