San Juan County Orders Evacuations for 20,000 as Floodwaters Return

San Juan County emergency managers issued evacuation notices to more than 20,000 residents on Monday, instructing people living within a half-mile of the Animas, La Plata, and San Juan rivers to leave their properties. The directive followed a renewed wave of heavy rain that hit northwestern New Mexico and parts of Arizona and Utah. Communities in the region are still dealing with damage from a major flooding event that began on October 22.

Devin Neeley, a spokesperson for San Juan County, described the current river conditions while standing near the Animas River in Aztec. He noted that the water was both wide and fast moving. County crews performed fewer than ten rescue operations during this latest spike in water levels. Additional rescue work involved National Guard units, though Neeley did not provide a specific count for those operations. As of Monday afternoon, officials had not reported any serious injuries or deaths.

The National Weather Service issued an early morning bulletin stating that minor flooding was already present along the San Juan River in Farmington. Forecasters predicted the river could reach major flooding levels by Tuesday morning. The projected crest height is 12.7 feet. In nearby areas, the La Plata River near Redmesa, Colorado, saw its forecast upgraded from minor to moderate flooding. Water levels reached 10 feet at 8:30 a.m., exceeding the flood stage of 9 feet. The river was expected to crest at approximately 10.6 feet on Monday afternoon.

Residents in Harper Valley, a subdivision near Farmington that suffered severe damage in late October, began evacuating again as the San Juan River rose. Julia Gilbert, who has been assisting her brother and mother with preparations, stated that the entire neighborhood was evacuated. She reported that neighbors were seeing the floodwater rising toward their homes. Gilbert noted that water was about a foot from her brother's garage and continued to rise. Her family worked all day on Sunday to install sandbags and tarps to protect their property.

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 of rain over the same period. This precipitation fed into rivers flowing south from Colorado into New Mexico, increasing water levels in the Four Corners region.

Federal and state officials have taken steps to support recovery efforts. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration on October 26 for northwestern New Mexico. This order allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover 75% of eligible emergency protective measures. The declaration followed an authorization by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on October 29, which allocated $54.75 million for recovery. The governor plans to request that the White House declare a major disaster, a status that could provide additional individual relief funds for residents with damaged homes.

Officials anticipate that floodwaters will begin to recede by the middle of the week. Neeley explained that once the rivers hit their peak, it will take hours for levels to drop below the action stage. He predicted that rivers would return to a normal state by Tuesday or Wednesday. At that point, authorities plan to relieve some of the active evacuation orders.