Over 20,000 residents ordered to leave homes in San Juan County as rivers rise

Emergency officials in San Juan County ordered more than 20,000 people to evacuate their homes on Monday. The notices target residents living within a half-mile of the Animas, La Plata, and San Juan rivers as floodwaters rise across the Four Corners region.

Devin Neeley, a spokesperson for San Juan County, described the current conditions while standing near the Animas River in Aztec. He stated, "It's wide and it's fast." Neeley reported that crews conducted fewer than 10 rescue operations during the latest surge. He noted that additional operations involved the National Guard but did not have a final count. No serious injuries or fatalities had been reported as of Monday afternoon.

The National Weather Service issued a bulletin in the early morning, confirming minor flooding along the San Juan River at Farmington. The service forecasts potential major flooding through Tuesday morning, projecting a crest height of 12.7 feet.

In Harper Valley, a subdivision near Farmington that sustained heavy damage during the late October flooding, residents are again leaving their homes. Julia Gilbert, who is assisting her brother and mother, said, "We are all out of the neighborhood, evacuated." She added that neighbors reported the flood rising toward houses.

Gilbert provided a specific update on the water levels near her family's home. She said, "Last update was (the water) is about a foot from the garage of my brother's house and still rising." The family spent the previous afternoon installing sandbags and tarps to protect their property.

Neeley indicated that the rivers have not yet reached their highest point. He said, "We have not fully seen the crest of the rivers." He observed some stability in water height but believed the crest had not arrived. Officials expect floodwaters to begin receding by midweek. Neeley said it will take hours for the river to drop below action stage after the crest, with a return to normal levels expected by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Rainfall totals contributed to the renewed flooding. Neeley estimated that Farmington received between one and two inches of rain from the weekend into Monday. Durango, Colorado, received roughly two to three inches over the same period. This precipitation is feeding rivers that flow south from Colorado into New Mexico.

The National Weather Service upgraded its forecast for the La Plata River below Redmesa, Colorado, from minor to moderate flooding. The river stood at 10 feet at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and was expected to crest at approximately 10.6 feet, exceeding the flood stage of 9 feet. The agency also forecast major flooding near Cedar Hill and warned that areas unaffected by the Oct. 22-23 emergency could become inundated.

Flash flood warnings extended into Arizona, covering portions of Coconino and Navajo counties through the early afternoon. The Little Colorado River at Winslow was rising rapidly. In Colorado and Utah, forecasters in Grand Junction issued warnings for five southwestern Colorado counties and parts of Utah through late Monday afternoon.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration on Oct. 26 for northwestern New Mexico. This authorization allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover 75% of eligible emergency protective measures. The order followed an Oct. 29 authorization by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, which provided $54.75 million for recovery. The governor said she would urge the White House to declare a major disaster to release additional funding for individual relief.