San Juan River flooding forces evacuations in Navajo Nation and Utah

Severe flooding along the San Juan River has triggered emergency evacuations and rescues across the Navajo Nation and parts of southeastern Utah. In Shiprock, the river surpassed its major flood stage, with water spreading over floodplains near U.S. Highway 64. Upstream in Farmington, the river reached 14.1 feet, breaking a record set in 1909.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and local officials issued evacuation alerts for several communities, including Aneth, Montezuma Creek, and Bluff, Utah. In Bluff, San Juan County officials ordered immediate evacuations for residents south of Highway 191 as conditions changed rapidly. Approximately 150 people from the Montezuma Creek and Aneth areas were estimated to have evacuated by Sunday.

Emergency shelters have been established at Aneth Community School and San Juan High School in Blanding. The flooding has also caused environmental concerns, as rising waters inundated the Bloomfield wastewater treatment plant, sending untreated sewage into the river. Multiple road closures are in effect, including the Highway 160 bridge and the Montezuma Creek Bridge.