By Salma El-Sakka
The southwestern United States is preparing for another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms following days of intense rainfall that triggered widespread evacuations, water rescues, and significant property damage. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for much of the Four Corners region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
Severe Flooding and Water Rescues in New Mexico
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham reported that law enforcement conducted hundreds of water rescues between the cities of Farmington and Bloomfield. Many families were forced to spend the night on rooftops as river levels surged. While the focus remains on saving lives, Grisham confirmed that no deaths have been reported so far and promised state support for rebuilding efforts once water levels recede.
In San Juan County, New Mexico, the San Juan River reached levels two feet above the previous record set in 1909. The flooding was severe enough to inundate the home of San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari with approximately four feet of water. Although conditions are stabilizing, residents are currently struggling to clean up mud and silt, much of which has been contaminated by sewage following failures at local waste treatment plants.
Impact Across the Four Corners Region
The disaster zone extends into Colorado, where submerged vehicles have been reported along Highway 160 in South Fork. Ongoing power outages continue to affect multiple areas, with officials estimating it could take several days for electricity to be fully restored to affected residents.
In addition to the flooding, extreme weather struck Santa Fe on Saturday when a tornado damaged at least eight houses, including causing roof collapses. No injuries were reported in the tornado incident. These events follow two months of intermittent heavy rain driven by tropical moisture from the Pacific, which has previously caused deadly flooding in the Grand Canyon and other parts of New Mexico.
