San Juan River Crests at 31 Feet as Four Corners Regions Grapple With Sewage and Debris

One woman died in a flooding rescue in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday as the San Juan River continued to swell across the Four Corners region. The county sheriff's office reported that the victim was swept away while her family attempted to cross a flooded arroyo in a vehicle. A father and a child reached land, but the female passenger was found dead a mile downstream.

The river remains above flood stage in parts of the Southwest. The National Weather Service reported the water level at 1.5 feet above the 23-foot flood stage on Monday morning. Forecasters expect the river to crest at 31 feet later in the day before dropping below the flood stage by Tuesday morning. For context, the river reached a high of 32 feet on September 10, 1927.

Unusual rainfall has saturated the area since Wednesday, causing rivers to surge and forcing rescues. A tornado touched down in Santa Fe on Saturday night. The heavy rain is linked to El Niño, a temporary warming of the Pacific Ocean, which forecasters say drove the intensity of the storms.

In Bluff, Utah, residents evacuated over the weekend returned to their neighborhoods early Monday. County officials told them to proceed with caution because several properties remained submerged. The National Weather Service issued a direct warning to stay out of the San Juan River. The agency cited elevated water levels and the risk of sewage contamination.

Damage is extensive in the Farmington area of New Mexico. Local officials stated that swollen rivers were receding, but many residents remained in evacuation centers and hundreds had lost power. San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley told The Associated Press that the county lacked official figures on the number of damaged homes or evacuees. He described the area as an active disaster zone.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard visited the county on Monday to survey the damage. They met with residents to assess the needs of the community. The New Mexico congressional delegation asked President Donald Trump on Sunday to declare a state emergency. This action would unlock federal assistance funding for recovery efforts.

Hazards remain present in hard-hit counties. Officials warned that water could contain chemicals and raw sewage. Broken gas and propane lines also posed a threat. San Juan County Fire & Rescue Chief David Vega acknowledged at a Sunday news conference that the public was eager to return home. He noted that hazards still existed despite the receding waters.

Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were checking houses one by one for dangers. He estimated the process would take days to complete. In the Shiprock area of the Navajo Nation, flooding damaged wastewater facilities and water holding ponds. Wilfred Franklin Jr., the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority district manager, confirmed that sewage was released into the San Juan River.

Zach and Abigail Flatt packed go-bags after receiving evacuation orders on their phones on Thursday evening. Their home in Bloomfield, New Mexico, sits on the San Juan River. Zach recalled that the water level jumped four feet in 30 to 40 minutes. The family loaded their two children, ages 2 and 4, into a car as water came up over the tires.

The family watched via webcams as 18 inches of water flooded their property. The water washed away 22 of their 24 chickens. Zach described seeing items float from the porch into the front yard. In Colorado, teams mapped affected roads and evacuation zones in several counties to guide local response efforts.