Heavy rainfall sweeping across the Four Corners region on Monday triggered a fresh wave of severe flooding, forcing evacuation notices for more than 20,000 residents in northwestern New Mexico just days after communities began cleaning up from an earlier disaster that started on October 22, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Rising Rivers Prompt Evacuations Across the Four Corners
Emergency officials in San Juan County directed residents living within a half-mile of the Animas, La Plata, and San Juan rivers to evacuate immediately as fast-moving waters threatened homes and infrastructure. Devin Neeley, a San Juan County spokesperson, described the severity of the surge while surveying the Animas River near Aztec on Monday afternoon. It’s wide and it’s fast,
Neeley told the Albuquerque Journal.
Crews carried out fewer than 10 direct rescue operations during the latest flood wave, with additional support deployed from the National Guard. Officials confirmed that no serious injuries or fatalities had been reported as of Monday afternoon, though water levels continued to climb.
We have not fully seen the crest of the rivers,
Neeley said. We see a little bit of stability in the height of the rivers, but we don’t believe that the crest has come quite yet.
Colorado Downpours Send Floodwaters into New Mexico Basins
The renewed threat stems from heavy weekend downpours originating in Colorado. Preliminary rainfall estimates indicate that Farmington received roughly 1-2 inches of rain over the weekend into Monday, while Durango, Colorado, absorbed approximately 2-3 inches. Those totals sent large volumes of water rushing south into New Mexico river basins.
The National Weather Service issued early-morning bulletins warning of major flooding along the San Juan River at Farmington, projecting a crest of 12.7 feet by Tuesday morning. Along the La Plata River below Redmesa, Colorado, forecasters upgraded warnings from minor to moderate flooding, noting that water levels reached 10 feet by 8:30 a.m. Monday and were expected to peak near 10.6 feet, well above the 9-foot flood stage.
๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐ง: ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐November 2, 2026According to the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management, evacuation notices have been issued forโฆ pic.twitter.com/58pS64nNsw
In Arizona, the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff extended flash flood warnings for parts of Coconino and Navajo counties, tracking a rapidly rising Little Colorado River at Winslow. Meanwhile, forecasters in Grand Junction issued warnings covering five southwestern Colorado counties and parts of Utah.
Residents Battle Rising Waters in Devastated Subdivisions
In Harper Valley, a Farmington-area subdivision heavily damaged during the initial October 22 flooding, families rushed to protect their properties for a second time. Julia Gilbert spent Monday helping her brother and mother prepare their homes as the San Juan River crept upward.
We are all out of the neighborhood โ evacuated,
Gilbert said. Last update was (the water) is about a foot from the garage of my brotherโs house and still rising. We worked all afternoon yesterday to sandbag and tarp what we could to hopefully keep the water out.
President Trump Approves Emergency Declaration for Northwestern New Mexico
The ongoing crisis builds upon earlier emergency measures enacted after the initial storms struck the region. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration on October 26 covering northwestern New Mexico, directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund 75% of eligible emergency protective measures.
That federal action followed an October 29 authorization by New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham releasing $54.75 million for recovery efforts. The governor indicated plans to urge the White House for a major disaster declaration, a designation that would unlock individual assistance grants for residents whose homes and property sustained damage.
County officials estimate that water levels will need until midweek to recede below action stages, keeping evacuation orders in place until rivers stabilize.
๐จ๐บ๐ธ Evacuations are in effect along the Animas, La Plata and San Juan rivers in San Juan County, New Mexico, as flooding worsens across the Four Corners. In Colorado, La Plata County closed all county roads.San Juan County, New Mexico's emergency office told anyone within halfโฆ pic.twitter.com/c2QHNbZSKR
