San Juan River crests at 31 feet after days of heavy rain
One person died in Santa Fe, and officials warn that floodwaters in New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona are mixed with sewage and debris.
By Kenji Yamamoto ·
The San Juan River reached a 31-foot crest in the Four Corners region on Monday, marking the peak of a two-day flood event that has left one person dead and thousands without power.
Rainfall intensified on Wednesday, swelling rivers across parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. By Saturday, a tornado touched down in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That same night, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office reported a fatal accident when a vehicle attempted to cross a flooded arroyo. A father and child escaped to dry land, but a female passenger was swept away and found dead a mile downstream.
National Weather Service data showed the river at 1.5 feet above its 23-foot flood stage on Monday morning. Officials expected the water to drop below that level by Tuesday. The current crest is slightly lower than the record 32-foot high recorded on September 10, 1927.
In Bluff, Utah, residents who were evacuated over the weekend returned to their homes early Monday. County officials instructed them to remain cautious because several properties still held standing water.
In Farmington, New Mexico, rivers are receding, but hundreds of residents remain displaced and without electricity. San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley told The Associated Press that officials have not finalized counts for damaged homes or evacuations. He described the area as an active disaster zone.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard traveled to the county on Monday to inspect damage. San Juan County Fire and Rescue Chief David Vega noted at a Sunday news conference that the public is eager to return, but hazards remain. He pointed to broken gas lines and potential contamination. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said teams are conducting house-to-house checks, a process that may take days.
Zach Flatt, who lives on the river in Bloomfield, New Mexico, evacuated his family on Thursday evening after water levels rose four feet in 30 minutes. He watched via webcam as 18 inches of water flooded his property, killing 22 of his 24 chickens. In Shiprock, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority District Manager Wilfred Franklin Jr. reported that damaged wastewater facilities released sewage into the river. New Mexico's congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency on Sunday to access federal funds. Forecasters attributed the heavy rain to El Niño patterns.
Source: ABC News
