San Juan River crests after days of heavy rain in Four Corners

The San Juan River reached 31 feet on Monday, marking its peak after days of heavy rain saturated the Four Corners region.

The river was 1.5 feet above the flood stage of 23 feet early Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expected the water to drop below that level by Tuesday morning. This crest was slightly lower than the record set in 1927, when the river reached 32 feet. The area includes parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Unusually heavy rain has fallen since Wednesday, causing rivers to surge and forcing water rescues. A tornado also touched down in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday night.

One person died in the flooding in Santa Fe on Saturday. The county sheriff's office said a family attempted to cross a flooded arroyo in a vehicle. The father and child reached land, but a female passenger was swept away. Her body was found a mile away. In Bluff, Utah, residents who were evacuated over the weekend were allowed to return early Monday. County officials urged caution because several properties remained flooded. The National Weather Service advised people to stay out of the river due to elevated levels and potential sewage contamination.

In the Farmington area of New Mexico, swollen rivers began to recede by Monday, but many people remained evacuated and hundreds had no power. Devin Neeley, a spokesperson for San Juan County, told The Associated Press that officials did not have official figures on the number of damaged homes or evacuated people. He described the area as an active disaster zone. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard planned to visit the county on Monday to survey damage. San Juan County Fire and Rescue Chief David Vega acknowledged at a news conference on Sunday that the public was anxious to return. He noted that hazards remained, including broken gas and propane lines. Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were checking houses for hazards, a process that could take days.

Zach and Abigail Flatt of Bloomfield, New Mexico, packed go-bags after receiving evacuation orders on their phones on Thursday evening. Their home sits on the San Juan River. Zach recalled that the water rose about four feet in 30 or 40 minutes. The family loaded their two children, ages 2 and 4, into their car as water came up over the tires. They stayed in a hotel room and watched webcams as at least 18 inches of water covered their property. The flood washed away 22 of their 24 chickens. Zach said he watched items float away from their porch into the front yard.

Wilfred Franklin Jr., district manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Shiprock District, said wastewater facilities and holding ponds in the Shiprock area were damaged. This caused sewage releases into the San Juan River. New Mexico's congressional delegation asked President Donald Trump to declare a state emergency on Sunday to release federal assistance funding. In Colorado, teams created maps of counties to identify affected roads and evacuation zones. The region has experienced heavy rain for two months due to tropical moisture from the Pacific. Forecasters attributed the latest storms to El Niño. Other deadly flooding struck the Grand Canyon and parts of New Mexico earlier in the season after months of drought.