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ClimateQuiet 13d · day 14

Four Corners flooding leaves 1 dead as contaminated waters threaten evacuees

Days of heavy rainfall along the San Juan River in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico have caused widespread flooding, with residents warned of sewage-tainted water as they assess damage.

newest coverage 12d agosummary written 12d ago11 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • Heavy rainfall from Wednesday through Monday caused the San Juan River to surge to near-historic levels, peaking near 31 feet compared to the 1927 record of 32 feet.
  • One woman died Saturday during a family's attempt to cross a flooded arroyo by vehicle in Santa Fe; the father and child survived.
  • Officials warn returning residents of contaminated water (chemicals and raw sewage), broken gas and propane lines, and other hazards—house-to-house safety checks could take days.
  • Gov. Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico National Guard planned Monday damage surveys; San Juan County has not yet released official counts of homes destroyed or people evacuated.

“Stay out of the San Juan River. Water levels remain elevated, and possible sewage contamination poses additional health risks.”

National Weather Service, Federal weather authority · Philadelphia Inquirer / AP ↗

San Juan County Fire & Rescue Emergency response officialNational Weather Service Federal weather authorityGov. Michelle Lujan Grisham New Mexico GovernorZach and Abigail Flatt Flood-affected residents

Four Corners flooding leaves 1 dead as contaminated waters threaten evacuees
Independent UK

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articles

Peak 6 pieces in 3h at Oct 26, 11 AM; 11 pieces over 14 days (10 articles · 1 post) Oct 25, 8 PM — 5 pieces · 5 articles — Google News 5Oct 25, 11 PM — quietOct 26, 2 AM — quietOct 26, 5 AM — quietOct 26, 8 AM — quietOct 26, 11 AM — 6 pieces · 5 articles · 1 post — Newswires 5, Mastodon 1Oct 26, 2 PM — quietOct 26, 5 PM — quietOct 26, 8 PM — quietOct 26, 11 PM — quietOct 27, 2 AM — quietOct 27, 5 AM — quietOct 27, 8 AM — quietOct 27, 11 AM — quietOct 27, 2 PM — quietOct 27, 5 PM — quietOct 27, 8 PM — quietOct 27, 11 PM — quietOct 28, 2 AM — quietOct 28, 5 AM — quietOct 28, 8 AM — quietOct 28, 11 AM — quietOct 28, 2 PM — quietOct 28, 5 PM — quietOct 28, 8 PM — quietOct 28, 11 PM — quietOct 29, 2 AM — quietOct 29, 5 AM — quietOct 29, 8 AM — quietOct 29, 11 AM — quietOct 29, 2 PM — quietOct 29, 5 PM — quietOct 29, 8 PM — quietOct 29, 11 PM — quietOct 30, 2 AM — quietOct 30, 5 AM — quietOct 30, 8 AM — quietOct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — quietOct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quiet 12
Oct 26Oct 27Oct 28Oct 29Oct 30Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6now · 10:40 AM ET
  1. 2

    Governor and National Guard plan damage survey

    Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard planned to visit San Juan County Monday to survey damage and meet with affected residents. San Juan County had not yet released official figures on homes damaged or people evacuated.

    “In 30 or 40 minutes it had jumped about 4 feet. After I saw that big jump, and how close it was to going over the banks, I said we've got to get out.”
    — Zach Flatt, Resident, Bloomfield, New Mexico · source
    1. 8 outlets Flood warning lingers in Four Corners as soaked towns face sewage-tainted waters. 1 death reported

      first by Orlando Sentinel, 12d ago · also Mercury News, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Independent UK, Pioneer Press, AP News +1

  2. background

    Officials urge caution over contamination and other dangers — San Juan County Fire & Rescue Chief David Vega acknowledged public anxiety to return but stressed unknown hazards remained. The National Weather Service and county officials warned water could contain chemicals, raw sewage, and that gas and propane lines could be broken.

  3. background

    Evacuees allowed to return; officials warn of hazards — Residents in Bluff, Utah, were permitted to return early Monday, but county officials cautioned that properties remained flooded and hazards persisted. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were checking houses for dangers—a process expected to take days.

  4. 1

    San Juan River crests near historic levels

    By Monday morning, the San Juan River was 1½ feet above flood stage at 23 feet, expected to crest at 31 feet later Monday—approaching the September 1927 record of 32 feet—before falling below flood stage by Tuesday morning.

  5. background

    Tornado touches down in Santa Fe; woman dies in water rescue — Storms produced a tornado in Santa Fe on Saturday night. During a family's attempt to cross a flooded arroyo by vehicle in Santa Fe, a father and child reached land safely, but a female passenger was swept away and found dead a mile downstream.

  6. background

    Residents evacuated as rivers surge — Flooding homes and forcing water rescues across the region. Residents like Zach and Abigail Flatt in Bloomfield, New Mexico, received evacuation orders Thursday evening and watched via webcams as floodwaters inundated their property.

  7. background

    Heavy rainfall begins in Four Corners region — Unusually heavy rain began Wednesday, triggering a sequence of flooding events across the Southwest's Four Corners region where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet.