BLUFF, Utah (KUTV) – Several communities in Utah’s Navajo Nation have been ordered to evacuate due to the risk of “catastrophic flooding” in the Four Corners region.
The Navajo Police Department issued an evacuation advisory late Saturday evening for residents of Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Aneth. They said residents should prepare to be evacuated for several days.
“Bring necessary medications, identification, important documents, personal hygiene items, change of clothes, pillows, blankets, cell phones and chargers,” the advisory states.
The Navajo Department of Emergency Management is working to evacuate communities in southeastern Utah Saturday, Oct. 24, ahead of major flooding. (Photo: Navajo Police Department)
Early Sunday morning, the National Weather Service issued an emergency alert due to expected flooding of the San Juan River in southeastern Utah. Authorities said major flooding was expected from Four Corners to Mexican Hat.
NWS officials said flooding would likely begin Sunday morning and peak around 5 p.m.
“If you have been evacuated, do not under any circumstances return to your home. Flooded areas present serious hidden dangers,” authorities said.
Shelters were set up for evacuated residents of Aneth Community School and San Juan High School. Residents who need help evacuating can contact the Montezuma Creek EMS station at 435-651-3754.
MORE | Flood:
This screenshot from a smartphone video provided by Chelsey Field shows flooding on her neighbor’s property on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during the hurricane in Utah. (Chelsey Field via AP)
The evacuation comes after the Four Corners region and southwest Utah experienced extreme flooding earlier in the week. The Four Corners region received nearly five inches of rain over a 48-hour period Wednesday and Thursday.
Several Utah schools in San Juan County released their students early Wednesday and extended at-home learning the next day due to heavy rain.
Farther west in Hurricane City, an estimated 130 residential structures were damaged in one RV park alone. This is the second time in the past two months that neighborhoods along Gould Wash have been damaged by floodwaters.
The storms didn’t just impact Utah, with New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona also experiencing severe weather.
The photo shows major flooding in Shiprock, New Mexico, as heavy rains inundate communities in the Four Corners region. (Photo: Navajo Police Department)
Several people were rescued in communities along New Mexico’s San Juan River as flooding devastated their homes and properties. New Mexico officials said people were stuck on roofs and in homes filled with three to four feet of water.
In Colorado, Archuleta County officials said they suffered “catastrophic infrastructure damage” due to unprecedented flooding. And in Arizona, tornadoes ripped off roofs and toppled trees and power lines.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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