A new flood watch covers much of the Four Corners as rain-soaked communities in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah face another round of potentially heavy showers and thunderstorms. The watch came as local officials assessed damage from flooding that had already forced evacuations and water rescues. The Guardian reported on the flood watch and ongoing response, citing the National Weather Service and local officials.
In San Juan County, New Mexico, floodwaters were receding but had left mud and silt contaminated with sewage after failures at waste plants, county spokesperson Devin Neeley said. Multiple areas were still without power, and Neeley said it could take several days for service to return. The county did not yet have official figures for damaged homes or evacuations, and Neeley said he was not aware of any loss of life. The Guardian’s report described the contamination, outages, restoration timeline and preliminary casualty information.
The latest conditions follow severe flooding across the region on Friday. Earlier reporting documented rooftop rescues, impassable roads and evacuation orders in parts of Colorado and New Mexico, including an evacuation notice affecting about 600 households in Farmington. National Guard members were deployed in south-west Colorado, while flooding affected bridges, roads, culverts and electrical equipment in Utah. The Guardian’s earlier report described those emergency measures and infrastructure impacts.
Officials in San Juan County said residents were still cleaning up and dealing with damage. The National Weather Service flood watch and the forecast for further rain leave communities managing recovery while swollen rivers are expected to recede further, according to The Guardian’s report.