South-west braces flooding stretch as storms threaten region
The south-west US faced another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms after days of rain triggered evacuations, water rescues and extensive damage across…
After days of rain forced evacuations and water rescues, the south-west braces flooding stretch as another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms was forecast for Sunday. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch across much of the Four Corners, where rivers had surged and communities were still dealing with damage.
The region, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet, had endured rain since Wednesday. Local officials expected swollen rivers to recede further, but the floodwaters had already left homes damaged, roads affected and some residents without power.
The danger has not passed.
Rescues and cleanup in New Mexico
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement on Saturday that law enforcement had reported hundreds of water rescues between Farmington and Bloomfield. She said emergency crews had brought residents to safety after some families spent the night on rooftops as water entered their homes.
“Right now, our focus is saving lives. If you’re told to evacuate, go,” Lujan Grisham said. She added that the state would help San Juan County families rebuild once the water receded.
“No deaths have been reported,” the governor said.
About 4ft (1 meter) of water flooded the home of San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari. He said conditions were stable on Sunday, while residents worked to clean up and assess damage.
The San Juan River in Farmington ran 2 ft above its previous record set in 1909 on Friday. San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley said officials did not have confirmed figures for home damage or the number of people evacuated. He said he was not aware of any loss of life.
Cleanup brings another hazard. Neeley said floodwaters left mud and silt, much of it contaminated with sewage after failures at waste plants. Power outages continued in multiple areas, and residents could wait a few days for electricity to return.
“It’s a pretty active disaster zone,” Neeley said. “We’re not on the downswing by any means.”
Flood damage across four states
Reporting by NPR described fast-moving flooding across New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona after rare heavy rainfall began on Wednesday. Brown floodwater prompted road closures, mandatory evacuations and emergency declarations. In Hurricane, Utah, flooding damaged more than 100 homes and RVs, according to NPR.
Juana Puga told NPR that water covered most of her house within five minutes after she returned from errands. Her family had moved back into the home on Oct. 1, after a flood in August forced renovations and rebuilding. She said the family was staying with her in-laws and hoped to move to a rental the following week.
“We were literally in our house for only 22 days,” Puga said.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared disaster emergencies in 12 counties and authorized National Guard members to assist with rescue efforts in south-west Colorado, NPR reported. The flooding hit southern Utah, south-west Colorado, and northern parts of Arizona and New Mexico particularly hard, with rapidly rising waters reported on Thursday and Friday.
The immediate burden for residents extends beyond damaged property. Sewage-contaminated silt complicates cleanup, while continuing outages leave some areas without power as crews respond to a disaster officials say remains active.
The Guardian reported that the flooding followed two months of on-and-off heavy rain linked to tropical moisture coming ashore from the Pacific, after months of drought. The National Weather Service flood watch and the forecast of more storms left communities across the Four Corners facing further rain as recovery work continued.
Source: theguardian.com
