Four Corners Flooding: San Juan River Breaks 1909 Record

A week of unusually heavy rain has caused record flooding along the San Juan and Animas rivers in the Four Corners region, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet. The hardest-hit area is San Juan County, New Mexico, around Farmington and Bloomfield, where families spent a night on rooftops and the river ran higher than at any time since record-keeping began. On Monday, Oct. 26, parts of the region were still under a flood warning as cleanup started, the Associated Press reported.

What we know about the San Juan River flooding

The rain began on Wednesday, Oct. 21, according to the AP, and kept falling for days over ground that was already wet from a separate round of flooding in September. Rivers rose quickly. One Bloomfield resident told the AP the San Juan "jumped about 4 feet" in 30 to 40 minutes on Thursday evening, right after his family's phones lit up with evacuation orders.

By Saturday, Oct. 24, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office said law enforcement had reported hundreds of water rescues between Farmington and Bloomfield, and that the National Weather Service estimated thousands of homes and buildings had been affected.

A flood bigger than 1909

The key number is the river gauge at Farmington. According to National Weather Service data summarized by The Watchers, the San Juan River reached 14.1 feet at 11 a.m. MDT on Oct. 23. That beat the previous record crest of 12.3 feet, set on Sept. 6, 1909, and was far above the local flood stage of 8.5 feet. The weather service called it the "flood of record." The gauge then stopped working, so the true peak was never measured.

Rescues and the response

About 58 New Mexico National Guard members, including swift-water rescue teams, were sent to San Juan County on Oct. 23 and 24, the governor's office said, alongside New Mexico State Police. In one case, a Guard team reached a family cut off by washed-out roads near Chaco Canyon overnight and evacuated an infant who was having repeated seizures.

"Families in Bloomfield and Farmington spent the night on rooftops watching the river flood their homes," Lujan Grisham said in the Oct. 24 statement. "Right now, our focus is saving lives. If you're told to evacuate, go."

By Sunday, San Juan County Fire Chief David Vega said rescue operations had ended and crews had moved to checking homes for hazards, the Navajo Times reported. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were not aware of any deaths or serious injuries in the county.

One death reported in Santa Fe

The same storm system caused damage elsewhere in New Mexico. The AP reported one flooding-related death in Santa Fe on Saturday: a family tried to drive across a flooded arroyo, and while a father and child reached land, a female passenger was swept away and found dead about a mile away, according to the county sheriff's office. A tornado also touched down in Santa Fe on Saturday evening; a National Weather Service survey cited by The Watchers gave it a preliminary EF1 rating and found about 10 homes affected.

Why the water is dangerous even as it recedes

Officials are stressing that falling water does not mean safe water.

• Sewage. Floodwaters reached the Bloomfield Water Reclamation Facility, and untreated wastewater flowed into the San Juan River, the governor's office said. In the Shiprock area of the Navajo Nation, damaged wastewater facilities and holding ponds also released sewage into the river, the AP reported.
• Fuel and chemicals. Chief Vega said floodwater can carry gasoline, diesel, pesticides, fertilizer, raw sewage and oilfield production water, though the full extent of contamination has not been determined.
• Hidden hazards. Roads still under water can hide potholes or sinkholes, and there may be broken gas and propane lines, downed power lines and damaged wiring, Tanner said.

Vega advised anyone exposed to floodwater to take off their clothes outdoors, bag them and wash them separately, especially children's clothing, and recommended gloves, goggles, protective suits and respirators for anyone going into flooded homes. Downstream in Utah, the National Weather Service told people to "stay out of the San Juan River" because of possible sewage contamination, according to the AP.

About 400 Farmington Electric Utility System customers were still without power on Sunday because service was cut deliberately for safety, the utility told the Navajo Times. Returning residents should report downed lines and assume equipment is still live.

Why this story is trending

The Four Corners floods appeared among Google News' top stories on Monday, Oct. 26, as the weather service's "flood of record" language and the governor's description of families waiting on rooftops spread. It is the second major flood event in New Mexico in about a month: on Oct. 23 the governor separately asked for a Major Disaster Declaration for flooding between Sept. 20 and Oct. 2, which the state estimated caused $27.1 million in public infrastructure damage.

What's next

1. Federal aid. Lujan Grisham requested a federal Emergency Declaration on Oct. 24 covering San Juan, Rio Arriba, Cibola and Sandoval counties and five Tribal nations, seeking help with debris removal and emergency protective measures, according to The Watchers' summary of state updates. A decision rests with the White House and FEMA.
2. Damage assessments. State officials said damage from this week's flooding will be assessed once the water recedes. San Juan County told the AP it did not yet have official counts of damaged homes or evacuees.
3. House-by-house checks. County crews are checking evacuated neighborhoods, including Bloomfield, Lee Acres and Harper Valley near Kirtland, before residents can return. Officials said the process could take days.
4. More rain? The AP reported that the region is watching forecasts for more rain, so river levels could change again.

If you live in the area

• If you are told to evacuate, go. Shelter has been available at McGee Park (pets and RVs accepted) and at Power House Church and First Baptist Church in Shiprock, per the governor's office.
• Call 911 if you are trapped or in danger, and 2-1-1 for other help.
• Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Check road conditions at nmroads.com.
• Read the state's flood safety guidance before cleaning up.

The river is dropping, but the hard part is just starting. Officials say clearing homes for people to return will take days, and nobody has an official count of damaged houses yet. Federal help hinges on an emergency request that is still with the White House and FEMA.

Also in the news: Brazil's presidential runoff, Israel's national election and the 2026 midterm elections. Clocks fall back this weekend, too; here's what to know about the end of daylight saving time.