New Mexico flood damage could reach $300 million, governor says
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says infrastructure damage in San Juan County could cost $200–300 million after record San Juan River flooding displaced thousands.
The story in focus
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says infrastructure damage from last week's Southwest flooding could reach $200–300 million in San Juan County alone. The San Juan River rose from about 3.5 feet to 14 feet in roughly 36 hours, displacing thousands across Four Corners states. The federal government partially granted the state's emergency declaration request.
- San Juan River gauge in Farmington rose from about 3.5 feet to 14 feet in roughly 36 hours, NPR reported.
- San Juan County rescued between 200 and 300 residents using helicopters, high-clearance and amphibious vehicles.
- Governor Lujan Grisham estimated infrastructure damage at $200–300 million in San Juan County.
- The federal government partially granted New Mexico's emergency declaration request, the governor announced Monday night.
- Lujan Grisham signed executive orders releasing $8.25 million in additional state funding for flood response.
Record river surge in Farmington
Intense rainstorms linked to an active El Niño-driven Pacific hurricane season caused substantial flooding across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona last week, leaving thousands displaced or facing major cleanups, NPR reported.
In Farmington, New Mexico, a city of about 46,000 and a hub for the northeastern Navajo reservation, the San Juan River grew 13 times larger in 36 hours. National Weather Service gauge data showed the river at about 3.5 feet early Thursday and 14 feet by Friday, possibly a record, after water from two normally dry tributaries, Gobernador Canyon and Cañon Largo, flowed into the city downstream of the Navajo Reservoir.
San Juan County public information officer Devon Neeley called it a catastrophic flood of historic proportions. Crews rescued between 200 and 300 county residents, pulling people from vehicles, rooftops and high water using National Guard high-clearance and amphibious vehicles, NPR reported.
Costs and emergency response
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham visited San Juan County on Monday and said infrastructure damage alone could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Responding to a county manager's recovery estimate, she said the figure could be closer to $200–300 million, citing environmental, road and infrastructure costs, according to NPR.
Monday night, the governor announced that the federal government had partially granted New Mexico's request for an emergency declaration. She had signed executive orders a day earlier making $8.25 million in additional state funding available for flood response, NPR reported.
Officials urged evacuated residents to stay out as waters receded, warning of raw sewage, damaged gas lines, live power lines and contaminated floodwater. San Juan County Fire Chief David Vega said the water is not healthy and advised people to stay out of it.
How much did the San Juan River rise in Farmington during the flooding?
According to National Weather Service gauge data cited by NPR, the river was about 3.5 feet high early Thursday and reached 14 feet by Friday, growing 13 times larger in roughly 36 hours.
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