Southwest US faces new storms after days of flooding cause hundreds of rescues
The Four Corners region endured multi-day rainfall that forced evacuations and water rescues, with the San Juan River running 2 feet above its 1909 record in Farmington on Friday.
What happened
Heavy rain that began Wednesday prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for the Four Corners region on Sunday as additional storms approached. In New Mexico, law enforcement reported hundreds of water rescues between Farmington and Bloomfield, with residents sheltering on rooftops as the San Juan River flooded homes. The San Juan River in Farmington on Friday ran 2 feet above its previous record set in 1909. The flooding damaged homes—including the residence of San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari, which sustained about 4 feet of water—and left contaminated mud and silt from sewage treatment plant failures. Power outages affected multiple areas with restoration expected to take days. No deaths have been reported as of Sunday, though officials noted the county lacks official damage assessments and evacuation counts.
Context
The flooding represents the latest impact from two months of on-and-off heavy rain driven by tropical Pacific moisture, occurring in a region that had recently endured drought conditions. The combination of extreme precipitation after prolonged dryness has also caused recent deadly flooding at the Grand Canyon and elsewhere in New Mexico. The immediate challenge for officials is transitioning from emergency rescue operations to recovery and rebuilding, with state resources mobilized to assist affected families once water recedes.