Unrelenting rain this past weekend pushed already‑waterlogged areas of northern New Mexico back into crisis. Rivers along the San Juan, La Plata, Animas and Chama basins rose to historic levels, flooding homes, roadways and an RV park in San Juan County.
Evacuations and road closures
The village of Chama, just south of the Colorado border, issued a mandatory evacuation order on Sunday and shut all roads leading into town. On Monday officials warned residents of potential sewage contamination and urged anyone near the Rio Chama to avoid contact with the water.
Impact across the region
San Juan and Rio Arriba counties bore the brunt of the new flooding, with dozens of reports of inundated roadways in Farmington, Chama, Abiquiú, Bloomfield and other communities. The National Weather Service confirmed that floodwaters breached homes at several locations, including an RV park.
Swift‑water rescue crews saved a couple swept away near the La Plata River on Sunday afternoon.
Utility outages on the Navajo Nation
Power and water outages have also struck the Navajo Nation, affecting Shiprock, Red Mesa and surrounding areas. The Navajo Department of Emergency Management listed 17 sites without water and six without power.
State response
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that up to $55 million in state emergency funds will be allocated to counties and pueblos in northern New Mexico to aid recovery efforts.
Ongoing warnings
National Weather Service flood warnings remain in effect through Wednesday for rivers in the northernmost part of the state.
Original reporting: Taos News — read the source article.
