Navajo Nation and Southeast Utah Communities Ordered to Evacuate Amid Rising San Juan River Waters
Communities across southeastern Utah and the Navajo Nation are facing mandatory evacuation orders as rapidly rising water levels along the San Juan River threaten homes, roads, and infrastructure.
On Sunday evening, San Juan County issued an immediate evacuation warning for the town of Bluff. County officials urged residents living south of Highway 191 and Main Street on the river side to leave without delay as floodwaters approached the area. Residents were directed to travel north toward Blanding and warned against attempting to cross flooded roadways.
The evacuation notices follow similar orders issued Saturday night by the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management for the communities of Montezuma Creek and Aneth. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren reported that severe flooding continued to threaten both areas as water levels rose significantly overnight.
To accommodate displaced residents, authorities established two emergency shelters. One shelter opened at Aneth Community School in Montezuma Creek, while the second was set up at San Juan High School in Blanding.
Emergency services and police warned evacuees to prepare to remain away from their homes for multiple days. Officials advised residents to bring essential supplies, including necessary medications, identification, personal documents, hygiene items, changes of clothes, bedding, and mobile devices with chargers.
Transportation and rescue efforts have been severely complicated by local road conditions. According to Chantal Wadsworth, co-founder of Rezroads Rescue in Shiprock, New Mexico, approximately 90% of the roads across the Navajo reservation are unpaved dirt routes that have turned into muddy streams, trapping residents and hampering travel. Residents needing assistance were advised to contact local chapter houses and representatives to report stranded family members, or to reach out directly to the Montezuma Creek EMS Station.
A series of critical road closures remain in place across the affected region. These include the Highway 160 bridge, Highway 162 east of Montezuma Creek, the westbound lanes of the Aneth Bridge at milepost 22, Navajo Route 35 south of Montezuma Creek, and the Montezuma Creek Bridge.
The Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management estimated that roughly 150 people were forced to evacuate from Montezuma Creek and Aneth between Saturday night and Sunday. National Weather Service alerts also identified Mexican Hat, Tselakai Dezza, Bluff, Halchita, Montezuma Creek, and Aneth as communities facing major flooding risks from Sunday into Monday, with additional rainfall threatening to complicate ongoing response and recovery operations.
In neighboring San Juan County, New Mexico, emergency crews began assessing hazards and collaborating with utility partners as waters receded in certain areas. Officials cautioned that numerous roads remain underwater or impassable, and warned that floodwaters could harbor hazardous materials. Local law enforcement also prohibited drone operations in the impacted zones to prevent interference with active emergency response and rescue missions.
