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Severe flooding is impacting northern New Mexico as severe weather could impact areas near Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Evacuations are underway in many parts of San Juan County while a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for most of New Mexico through Friday evening.
Here’s everything we are following:
Flood rescues and evacuations
The New Mexico National Guard and New Mexico State Police are rescuing stranded residents in Bloomfield, New Mexico, after the San Juan River overflowed following intense storms this week.
The flooding has left significant standing water in the area. Cars are submerged, water is seeping into the ground level of homes and residents are wading to their front doors. Some parts of the riverbank are unrecognizable due to the rising floodwaters.
This is prompting coordinated efforts by the National Guard and State Police to respond to calls from stranded residents.
Lobo Dustoff, New Mexico’s National Guard team, has been scanning the river for residents who cannot call in their locations.
Lobo Dustoff explained their rescue process to KOAT.
Once a location is identified, one medic is lowered via hook, while the crew chief guides them to a landing spot. Those rescued are secured by the medic before being hoisted into the Black Hawk helicopter.
Law enforcement officials reported that at least 60 rescues have been conducted between Farmington and Bloomfield since Thursday afternoon.
San Juan County officials are urging residents to stay away from flooded areas and avoid attempting to cross flooded roads. They also recommend keeping emergency alerts on, as more rain is expected in the impacted area.
Stranded for hours
When the San Juan River has overflowed its banks in Bloomfield, homes were left flooded and forced residents to rooftops to be rescued by helicopter.
“We lost everything, everything,” said Aimee Goodday, who was awakened around midnight on Friday by cold water flooding her trailer.
The river, located just a quarter mile from Goodday’s home, began rising rapidly. “We were all freaked out and stuff, but one of us had to be the adult, and I was like, ‘Okay, we need to make a plan,'” she said.
Goodday decided to move her family—her daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons—onto the roof of their trailer as the water continued to rise. “The water was still rising, and I just felt helpless,” she said.
After spending 12 hours on the roof, a state police helicopter rescued Goodday and her family. “I have my babies. Everything else is replaceable, but they are not,” she said.
Reflecting on the situation, Goodday added, “I just didn’t want to freak out in front of my kids, and I kind of did a little bit, but it was right because of the situation I was in.”
Her son-in-law, Jason McNabb, said, “Everything’s okay, just the water.”
The neighborhood where Goodday’s trailer is located remains flooded, with the San Juan River still flowing through it. The area is near the Bloomfield Water Reclamation Plant, which is also underwater and was shut down before floodwaters reached it. Officials are urging residents to conserve water as untreated wastewater is now flowing into the river.
A representative from San Juan United Way, a social services organization coordinating with emergency management, is urging residents in need of assistance to call 2-1-1. Many phone lines in Bloomfield and nearby Farmington are overwhelmed or not functioning.
The race to save an infant in need
The New Mexico National Guard evacuated an infant who was experiencing seizures after flooding washed out roads near Chaco Canyon on Thursday night.
Severe flooding made washed out roads impassable and prevented a helicopter from reaching the residence where the infant was experiencing a medical emergency.
Rescue teams arrived to the location near Chaco Canyon and began assessing the conditions to try and reach the child. Crews found that flooding washed out the roads going to the house. Severe weather also grounded helicopters and eliminated aerial evacuation as an option.
After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to reach the house, three members of the rescue team went on foot to reach the child and the child’s family.
Crews were able to evacuate the family and transfer them for medical care on Friday morning.
