Hundreds rescued; evacuations remain
Hundreds of people were rescued during flooding in the Four Corners region, including some stranded on rooftops and others reached by helicopter, KUNM reported. Heavy rain beginning Wednesday sent waterways in Colorado and New Mexico to record levels before some began receding.
San Juan County Emergency Management reported 20 rescues around Farmington and Shiprock in New Mexico. About 600 homes had been urged to evacuate, while local utilities reported that roughly 1,500 people were without power. Evacuation instructions remained in place.
Roads and bridges remain closed
Standing water closed a two-mile section of U.S. Highway 64 west of Shiprock, according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Flooding and water over a bridge across the San Juan River also shut a four-mile section of New Mexico 371 south of Farmington.
Southern Colorado also experienced severe flooding. KTAR reported that the San Juan River rose three feet above the level reached during a flood a year earlier that officials had classified as a 100-year event.
Renewed river rises remain possible
Authorities expected more rain on Saturday across the region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Four inches of rain fell on saturated ground from Wednesday through Friday, and another inch was possible Saturday, according to KTAR.
San Juan County Emergency Management warned that rivers could rise again even as some floodwaters receded. Forecasters attributed the moisture to remnants of Pacific tropical systems that had moved ashore, while saturated ground made widespread flooding more likely.