Full Breakdown
Navajo Nation Communities Evacuated Amid Rising Flood Threat in Utah
By Drooid · · How we work
Evacuation Orders and Immediate Response
The Navajo Police Department issued an evacuation notice late Saturday night for residents of Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Aneth in southeastern Utah, directing them to prepare for several days away from home. The notice listed essential items—medications, identification, documents, hygiene supplies, clothing, pillows, blankets, cell phones and chargers. Shelters were opened at Aneth Community School in Montezuma Creek and at San Juan High School in Blanding. The National Weather Service issued an emergency alert warning that flooding of the San Juan River would likely begin early Sunday and peak around mid-afternoon, urging evacuees not to return while waters remain hazardous. San Juan County posted a social-media warning urging Bluff residents to leave immediately and avoid crossing flooded roads.
Background: Recent Rainfall and River Levels
The Four Corners region received nearly five inches of rain over a 48-hour period earlier in the week, driving runoff toward the San Juan River and raising Lake Powell more than 10 feet above its yearly low—from 3,519.1 feet to 3,529.4 feet. Heavy rain also damaged an estimated 130 residential structures at an RV park in Hurricane, Utah, and caused roof-level rescues and trapped residents in neighboring New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.
Official Statements & Responses
The Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management estimated roughly 150 people would need to evacuate from Montezuma Creek and Aneth. County officials warned that several bridges—including Highway 160, Highway 162 east of Montezuma Creek, and the Aneth Bridge—were closed, and they asked residents to avoid drone use in affected areas while crews worked.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ninety percent of the roads on a Navajo reservation are dirt roads. They're not paved at all,” — Chantal Wadsworth, co-founder of Rezroads Rescue in Shiprock, New Mexico
- “We're going to be working on this not just the next couple of days but next several weeks," Nygren said in an update Saturday.” — Buu Nygren, Navajo Nation President
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 150 evacuees projected (Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management).
- About 130 residential structures damaged at a Hurricane, Utah RV park (local reports).
- Nearly five inches of rain fell in a 48-hour span across the Four Corners region (weather observations).
- Lake Powell’s level rose more than 10 feet, from 3,519.1 feet to 3,529.4 feet (National Weather Service, Salt Lake City).
- Floodwaters in some areas reached three to four feet deep, prompting roof rescues (regional emergency reports).