Historic New Mexico Floods Damage 1,500 Homes

Unusually heavy rain across the Four Corners region caused historic flooding along the San Juan and Animas rivers in northwest New Mexico, damaging about 1,500 homes, inundating roads and prompting widespread evacuations and hundreds of swift-water rescues. Navajo Nation communities and parts of San Juan County were particularly hard hit; residents reported damage to homes, property and livestock, disrupted services and power outages. Floodwaters breached Bloomfield’s wastewater treatment plant, releasing raw sewage into the San Juan River, and officials warned people to stay out of the water as saturated ground and additional storms kept flood risks elevated. New Mexico sought federal disaster assistance, with initial county damage estimates reaching $27.1 million; officials reported no confirmed deaths. A tornado was also reported in Santa Fe during the storm system.