San Juan County floods second time in a week as emergency measures expand

Bluff, Utah, faced a second major flood event within seven days as water levels rose rapidly in the San Juan River and local washes.

Dark orange water filled the parking lots of the local post office and fire station on Monday. Dirt roads across Navajo Nation chapters in southeastern Utah were rendered impassable, isolating residents and businesses for a second consecutive week.

Mayor Josh Ewing described the past two weeks as a one-two punch for the community. The city had just begun recovering from the previous week's surge when new rainfall saturated the ground over the weekend.

San Juan County declared a local emergency on Sunday. The state of Utah followed on Monday by declaring emergency election accommodations. Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson visited the county for the second time in a week to oversee the response.

The state announcement allows affected voters to receive and return ballots electronically. Voters with an email address on record will receive a notification on Tuesday morning. Those without an email who have not yet voted can call the county clerk by 5 p.m. Henderson stated the goal is to ensure every eligible voter in the county can cast a ballot.

On Sunday night, storm clouds over the Abajo Mountains sent water rushing down Cottonwood Wash. The flow hit the local bridge and washed uphill into town businesses and government buildings. Ewing evacuated neighbors and businesses at 2 a.m. Monday.

Initial estimates indicate the latest flood affected nine or ten businesses and seven to ten homes. The Bluff Community Foundation building, which stored supplies for flood victims, was inundated. Secretary Amanda Podmore said the team salvaged most donated goods and moved them to the Bluff Community Center.

While the water receded quickly, the damage to municipal infrastructure remains severe. The post office and fire stations are flooded, and the historic Bluff Fort is underwater. The surge also re-flooded businesses like Bluff Gardens Cabins and Cadillac RV Park that had already been damaged by the San Juan River the previous week.

The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center expects the San Juan River to peak past flood stage again on Thursday. Precipitation in Colorado and New Mexico is currently moving toward southeast Utah, threatening areas like Atcitty Camp that were devastated by the previous surge.

Navajo Nation chapters in the region are facing jurisdictional challenges in accessing resources. Martha Saggboy, president of the Mexican Water chapter, said emergency resources often stop on the north side of the river. She noted that her community is on the south side, which is entirely reservation land.

Saggboy sent a letter last week to the Utah Division of Emergency Management requesting state support for flood recovery. Joe Dougherty, a public information officer for the division, said the state is in conversation with the Navajo Nation. He noted that the Navajo Nation retains the ability to decide its own disaster response strategy due to its sovereignty.

Road closures have cut off communities across the Four Corners region. A chasm tore through the bridge over Comb Wash on Highway 163 early Monday, disrupting traffic between Bluff and Monument Valley. Roads closed and washed out throughout the Navajo Nation chapters in Utah, including Red Mesa Road and Flat Top Mountain Road, which were swept away by an orange stream on Sunday. Ronalda Joe, the Red Mesa Chapter manager, said the division is waiting for the ground to dry before repairing roads. She also noted a lack of proper equipment to fix private dirt roads. Saggboy expressed concern that the vast size of the reservation means repairs might never reach her corner of the nation. Flooding also forced the closure of Utah highways 262 and 162, with the 162 closure lifted late Monday evening. Water line damage has left some families without running water, complicating efforts by USU in Blanding to distribute supplies to isolated families.