FORT COLLINS, Colo. — “Once-in-a-Generation” Flooding Hits Four Corners
Historic, “once-in-a-generation” flooding swept across the Four Corners region on Friday, triggering rooftop rescues, mass evacuations and disaster emergencies across four states, as rivers burst their banks after days of relentless rain.
The flooding hit where the boundaries of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet — a region just coming off two months of heavy rains that ended a summer drought. Since Wednesday, about 4 inches of rain fell on already saturated ground, sending millions of gallons of runoff surging into the San Juan and Animas rivers.
New Mexico: Hundreds Evacuated in Farmington
The worst of it centered on San Juan County, New Mexico. Some 600 households in Farmington — the area’s biggest city — were ordered to evacuate, with emergency shelters opened at McGee Park for displaced families. Rescuers used New Mexico National Guard boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles Thursday night and into Friday to reach stranded residents.
“We’re picking people off of roofs and pulling people out of houses that have 3 or 4 feet of water in them, and there’s more water coming,” San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley said Friday. At least 60 rescues were conducted between Farmington and Bloomfield, and downstream, the Navajo Nation braced for floodwaters not expected to peak until late Friday or early Saturday.
Colorado: Disaster Emergency in 11 Counties
In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis declared disaster emergencies for 11 counties and authorized National Guard members to assist rescue efforts in the southwest. Polis told reporters that as of Friday morning about 1,000 families had been evacuated. In southern Colorado, floodwaters rose four to five feet inside some homes. Archuleta County authorities first told residents to shelter in place Friday morning, then escalated to evacuation warnings by evening as rivers kept rising.
Utah and Arizona Also Hit
In Utah, the city of Hurricane declared an emergency Thursday after flooding damaged around 80 homes and 50 recreational vehicles. In Arizona, the Navajo Nation police said authorities had rescued seven families — 30 people — from flooded homes, and the Hopi Tribe declared its own state of emergency after heavy rainfall damaged roads, bridges and homes. Arizona was also battered by severe storms earlier in the week, with baseball-sized hail and a possible tornado injuring at least one person.
What Comes Next
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe called the disaster “a once-in-a-generation time” but said it was fortunate that no deaths had been reported as of Friday evening. The danger is not over: rivers were still rising even where rain had stopped, and forecasters warn of more thunderstorms through the weekend. Officials also warned of possible water contamination after flooding damaged a wastewater facility in Bloomfield.
Sources: Associated Press, NPR, New York Post.
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