Four Corners Flooding: Record San Juan River Levels Damage Hundreds of Homes as New Mexico Seeks Federal Aid

Four Corners flooding has damaged hundreds of homes and forced hundreds of rescues. It has also pushed the San Juan River to levels not seen in more than a century, and recovery is beginning across northwest New Mexico, southwest Colorado, southeast Utah and the Navajo Nation. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was scheduled to tour flood-damaged San Juan County on Monday, Oct. 26. Officials across the region warn that saturated ground leaves communities exposed if more storms arrive.

This report covers what happened, who is affected, the key figures, and what comes next for Four Corners flooding recovery and federal aid.

What Happened: Record Rain Sends the San Juan River Over Its Banks

Rain picked up on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Flooding peaked on Thursday and Friday, with more than 5 inches falling in some places, the Associated Press reported. Heavy rain in the headwaters of the San Juan and Animas rivers in southern Colorado swelled both rivers. They left their banks as they flowed into Farmington and the rest of northwest New Mexico, Source NM reported.

• Pagosa Springs, Colo.: The San Juan River reached a level not seen in more than a century. It ran 2 to 3 feet above a flood just over a year earlier that officials had called a 100-year flood (AP).
• San Juan County, N.M.: The San Juan River was running 2 feet above its previous record, set in 1909, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
• Southeast Utah: Navajo Police ordered evacuations late Saturday for Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Aneth. The National Weather Service warned of major flooding from Four Corners to Mexican Hat, KUTV reported.

Who Is Affected

New Mexico: Farmington, Bloomfield and Shiprock

The area between Farmington and Bloomfield took the worst of the damage. About 1,500 homes were damaged, according to a National Weather Service database citing the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said the actual number could be higher (Source NM). San Juan County Fire and Rescue Chief David Vega put the number of affected homes as high as 2,000 (Albuquerque Journal).

• Rescues: There were at least 60 swift-water rescues by Friday evening. Chief Vega estimated 200 to 300 rescues in total. New Mexico National Guard helicopters carried out 11 hoist operations, each lifting up to eight people.
• Casualties: Officials reported no deaths as of the weekend.
• Utilities and sewage: Floodwaters breached Bloomfield’s wastewater treatment center, and Shiprock’s treatment plant was also compromised. County spokesperson Devin Neeley said, “There is raw sewage in the river,” and urged people to stay out of the water. Up to 500 Shiprock residents lost power, according to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.
• Roads: A 2-mile stretch of U.S. 64 west of Shiprock was closed by water (AP).

Colorado: Archuleta County and the Pagosa Springs area

Hundreds of homes remained evacuated and without power as of Saturday. Nearly 100 Colorado National Guard members were supporting Archuleta County, including two helicopter crews for search and rescue. U.S. 160 northeast of Pagosa Springs stayed closed, and U.S. 550 reopened between Durango and Ouray after repairs. Gov. Jared Polis added Conejos County to the areas eligible for disaster assistance (AP via The Gazette).

Utah and the Navajo Nation

Evacuees from Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Aneth were told to prepare to be away for several days. Shelters opened at Aneth Community School and San Juan High School. Separately, in Hurricane, Utah, an estimated 130 residential structures were damaged at one RV park. It was the second time in two months that neighborhoods along Gould Wash had flooded (KUTV).

Key Figures at a Glance

Government Response and Federal Aid Requests

Gov. Lujan Grisham has made two separate federal requests, KSJE reported:

• Major Disaster Declaration (Oct. 23): This request seeks help repairing an estimated $27.1 million in damage to roads and public infrastructure across 14 counties and three tribal nations. That damage came from earlier storms between Sept. 20 and Oct. 2.
• Emergency Declaration (Oct. 24): This request covers San Juan, Rio Arriba, Cibola and Sandoval counties and several pueblos and tribal nations. It would unlock at least $13.8 million for debris removal and emergency protective measures, plus additional money for environmental cleanup, KOB 4 reported.

“Families in Farmington and Bloomfield need help today, and I implore President Trump to send help immediately,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. As of this writing, no federal response to the requests had been reported. The state had already made about $3.75 million available through a statewide flooding emergency declared Sept. 30.

A Texas search-and-rescue and swift-water team assisted through interstate mutual aid.

Perspectives From the Ground

• Law enforcement: San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari urged evacuees not to go home to check on property or livestock. “My message today is that this isn’t over yet,” he said.
• Local officials: County Commission Chair Sam Gonzales said, “San Juan County is in grave danger right now,” as the county sought state and federal declarations (Source NM).
• Residents: Officials described frustration among evacuees kept from their homes. “There’s a lot of anxiety, and there’s a lot of frustration,” Ferrari said (AP).

What Happens Next

• Governor’s visit (Monday): Lujan Grisham and Maj. Gen. Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard were scheduled to survey damage along the San Juan and Animas rivers and meet officials, first responders and families.
• More weather risk: Officials warned that saturated soils make new flash flooding more likely. WORLD News reported that storms starting Thursday could be as strong as the recent ones. Residents should follow National Weather Service alerts.
• Federal decisions: The New Mexico requests, and any Colorado request, go to FEMA and the White House for review.
• Cleanup: The next tasks are damage assessments, sewage contamination in the river, gas line checks and debris removal. “We have to get through the actual incident before we get to the recovery,” Neeley said.

Developing story: Figures on damage, rescues and evacuations come from local and state officials and may change as assessments continue.

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• Outer Banks Nor’easter: Coastal Flood Warnings, Ferry Suspensions and Evacuations
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Sources

• The Gazette (AP) — Pagosa Springs experiencing once-a-century flooding
• Source NM — San Juan County officials describe widespread flooding impacts
• Albuquerque Journal — San Juan County officials warn flood threat continues
• KSJE — Governor to visit flood-stricken San Juan County
• KOB 4 — Governor requests federal emergency declaration
• KUTV — Navajo Nation communities evacuated in Utah
• WORLD — Monday morning news, Oct. 26, 2026

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