San Juan River Hits 31 Feet

The San Juan River reached a peak of 31 feet on Monday, the highest level recorded in the Four Corners region since 1927. The crest marks the culmination of two months of intermittent heavy rain that has saturated the ground from Utah to New Mexico.

The National Weather Service reported the river was 1.5 feet above its 23-foot flood stage by Monday morning. Forecasts indicated the water would drop below that threshold by Tuesday morning. This 31-foot level is slightly lower than the 32-foot crest recorded on September 10, 1927.

Health officials warned residents that the water carries risks of raw sewage and chemical contamination. In the Shiprock area of the Navajo Nation, Wilfred Franklin Jr., district manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, confirmed that damaged wastewater facilities allowed sewage to flow into the river. The weather service urged the public to stay out of the water due to these health hazards.

Cleanup operations began in Bluff, Utah, where residents returned to their neighborhoods early Monday. Local officials advised caution as some properties remained submerged. In New Mexico, Devin Neeley, a spokesperson for San Juan County, described the area as a pretty active disaster zone. He noted that official figures on damaged homes and evacuated residents were not yet available.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard scheduled a visit to the county on Monday. Their goal was to survey the damage and meet with affected residents. Meanwhile, New Mexico's congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency to access federal assistance funds.

In Bloomfield, New Mexico, Zach and Abigail Flatt evacuated their home after the river rose four feet in less than an hour. They watched via webcam as 18 inches of water covered their property, killing 22 of their 24 chickens. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said his team was checking houses for broken gas lines and other hazards, a process he said could take days.

Forecasters attributed the excessive rainfall to El Niño, a temporary warming of the Pacific Ocean. The region had previously suffered from drought, but tropical moisture from the Pacific has driven recent storms. A tornado also touched down in Santa Fe on Saturday night, where one person died while attempting to cross a flooded arroyo.