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Severe flooding is affecting northern New Mexico as severe weather could affect areas near Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Evacuations are underway in many areas of San Juan County, while a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for most of New Mexico through Friday evening.
Here’s everything we track:
Flood rescue and evacuation
The New Mexico National Guard and New Mexico State Police rescue stranded residents in Bloomfield, New Mexico, after the San Juan River overflowed following intense storms this week.
The flooding left significant standing water in the area. Cars are submerged, water seeps down to the ground floors of homes and residents head toward their front doors. Parts of the bank are unrecognizable due to rising waters.
This prompts the National Guard and State Police to make coordinated efforts to respond to calls from stranded residents.
Lobo Dustoff, the New Mexico National Guard team, has been scanning the river for residents who can’t call home.
Lobo Dustoff explained his rescue process to KOAT.
Once the location is identified, a medic is lowered via hook, while the team leader guides him to a landing point. The rescued people are secured by the doctor before being hoisted into the Black Hawk helicopter.
Law enforcement officials reported at least 60 rescues had been made between Farmington and Bloomfield since Thursday afternoon.
San Juan County officials are urging residents to stay away from flooded areas and avoid crossing flooded roads. They also recommend keeping emergency alerts activated as more rain is expected in the affected area.
Stuck for hours
When the San Juan River overflowed in Bloomfield, homes were flooded and residents were forced to rooftops to be rescued by helicopter.
“We lost everything,” said Aimee Goodday, who was awakened around midnight Friday by cold water flooding her trailer.
The river, located just 400 meters from Goodday’s house, began to rise rapidly. “We were all freaking 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 his family (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 felt helpless,” she said.
After spending 12 hours on the roof, a state police helicopter rescued Goodday and his family. “I have my babies. Everything else is replaceable, but they’re not,” she said.
Reflecting on the situation, Goodday added, “I just didn’t want to freak out in front of my kids, and I did a little bit, but that was just because of the situation I was in.”
His son-in-law, Jason McNabb, said: “Everything is fine, 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 closed before floodwaters reached it. Authorities are urging residents to save water as untreated sewage now flows into the river.
A representative from San Juan United Way, a social services organization that coordinates emergency management, urges residents in need of help to call 2-1-1. Many phone lines in Bloomfield and nearby Farmington are overwhelmed or not working.
The race to save a baby in need
The New Mexico National Guard evacuated an infant who was suffering from seizures after flooding washed out roads near Chaco Canyon Thursday evening.
Severe flooding made washed out roads impassable and prevented a helicopter from reaching the residence where the infant was in a medical emergency.
Rescue teams arrived on scene near Chaco Canyon and began assessing conditions in an attempt to reach the child. Crews found that flooding had washed out the roads leading to the house. Bad weather also grounded helicopters and eliminated the option of air evacuation.
After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to reach the house, three members of the rescue team left on foot to join the child and his family.
Crews were able to evacuate the family and transfer them for medical care Friday morning.
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