New round of flooding leads to damage, evacuations in northern New Mexico, Navajo Nation

Unrelenting rainfall in northern New Mexico over the weekend prompted additional flooding in areas already inundated, along with numerous evacuation orders for those near the banks of the San Juan, La Plata, Animas and Chama rivers. 

Areas of northern New Mexico including San Juan County and Rio Arriba County and the Navajo Nation near Shiprock have been hit with floods in recent weeks, with rivers rising far above their banks at historic levels.

Before the flooding this weekend, at least 10,000 homes in San Juan County and elsewhere suffered some flooding damage, according to state officials. Damage estimates from a new round of flooding since Saturday were not immediately available, though a National Weather Service database details floodwaters breaching homes at several locations in San Juan County, including an RV park. 

According to the National Weather Service, San Juan and Rio Arriba counties bore the brunt of the additional flooding over the weekend. The service received dozens of reports of flooded roadways and other damage in Farmington, Chama, Abiquíu, Bloomfield and elsewhere. 

Swiftwater rescue crews saved one couple who was briefly swept away by floodwaters near the La Plata River on Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service database.

Officials in the village of Chama just south of the Colorado border issued mandatory evacuation orders Sunday and closed all roads into town. On Monday afternoon, they alerted the public of potential sewage contamination and told residents to avoid any contact with Rio Chama water. 

National Weather Service flood warnings are in effect through Wednesday, concentrated at rivers that run along the northernmost portion of the state.

Flooding-related issues have caused numerous water and power outages on the Navajo Nation, including in Shiprock and the Red Mesa areas in New Mexico. The Navajo Department of Emergency Management on Monday afternoon listed 17 sites that lost water and six that lost power in that region alone. 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday announced she’d authorized up to $55 million in state emergency funds to counties and pueblos in northern New Mexico that are reeling from the floods. 

On Monday, the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office issued an election advisory about the severe weather saying it had been in contact with county clerks in parts of the state impacted by the weather and that all polling places as of Monday remain open to voters. 

In the event of severe weather impacting polling spots for Tuesday’s election, the Secretary of State noted that registered voters can cast ballots at any polling location within the county.