San Juan River hits 31 feet as sewage spills into floodwaters

The San Juan River reached a crest of 31 feet on Monday, submerging parts of the Four Corners region in water contaminated with raw sewage and chemicals. The National Weather Service reported the river was 1.5 feet above the flood stage of 23 feet by Monday morning. Levels are expected to drop below flood stage by Tuesday morning.

The surge followed two months of intermittent heavy rain driven by tropical moisture from the Pacific. Forecasters attributed the intense precipitation to El Niño conditions. The storm system also produced a tornado that touched down in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday night. This current crest is nearly a foot lower than the historical high of 32 feet recorded on Sept. 10, 1927.

One death was confirmed in Santa Fe on Saturday. A female passenger was swept away while a family attempted to cross a flooded arroyo in a vehicle. A father and child reached land, but the woman was found dead a mile downstream, according to the county sheriff's office. In the Farmington area, officials reported that hundreds of residents remained without power while swollen rivers began to recede.

San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley told The Associated Press that the county lacked official figures on damaged homes or evacuated populations. He described the area as a pretty active disaster zone. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard visited the county on Monday to survey damage. The state's congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump to declare an emergency to unlock federal funding.

In Bluff, Utah, residents returned to their homes early Monday after being evacuated over the weekend. County officials advised caution due to lingering floodwater. In Bloomfield, New Mexico, Zach Flatt recalled his home rising four feet in 30 to 40 minutes. His family escaped by car as water covered their tires. They watched via webcam as 18 inches of water flooded their property and washed away 22 of their 24 chickens.

Wilfred Franklin Jr., district manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, said wastewater facilities and holding ponds in the Shiprock area were damaged. These failures released sewage into the river. San Juan County Fire and Rescue Chief David Vega warned the public that hazards remain. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said crews are checking houses for broken gas and propane lines, a process that could take days.

The National Weather Service advised residents to stay out of the river. Officials in hard-hit counties urged patience as they assessed structural and utility damage. Teams in Colorado mapped affected roads and evacuation zones to guide response efforts.