Rare Tornado Hits Santa Fe as Record Floods Swamp the Four Corners

Hundreds of families across the Four Corners region have been displaced from their homes after a series of severe weather events over the last several days. A perfect storm of tropical moisture and a surge of atmospheric river triggered flash flooding and tornadic activity across the region. Here is the latest on how residents are grappling with the trail of destruction left behind.

Four Corners Slowly Returning to Normal After Days of Destructive Weather

A potent storm produced days of severe weather across portions of Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Although the floodwaters have now started to recede, many evacuated neighborhoods remained closed in northwestern New Mexico. Residents are anxiously awaiting news about when they can return home.

The worst of the flooding unfolded across the New Mexico communities of Shiprock, Bloomfield, and Farmington. Rivers overflowed their banks and roared across roadways and into homes. Search and rescue crews were dispatched to help stranded residents.

San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari confirmed that his own home sustained damage. Ferrari said that about 4 feet of water seeped into his house at the peak of the flooding.

The San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo, and Piedra rivers rose beyond their banks, sending water spilling out across roads and washing out bridges. Wastewater infrastructure was also damaged, including a Pagosa Springs sewer line attached to a bridge.

Although the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management confirmed that no rescues had been needed since Saturday, that does not mean that the danger has passed. The region is still dealing with power outages, contaminated sewage, and other threats as the cleanup efforts continue.

For instance, officials in Farmington urged people to avoid the riverfront area as the pavement was susceptible to collapse. Schools in Bloomfield, Farmington, and the Central Consolidated district were forced to close on Monday because of the hazards.

While New Mexico bore the brunt of the damage, the destruction crept over the border and into southwestern Colorado. The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs crested at 15.02 feet on Friday, eclipsing the high-water mark from the October 2025 flood. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) noted that the same river hit a record height of 20.91 feet near Shiprock, New Mexico.

After days of disruptions, travel slowly began to return to normal along U.S. Highway 160 between Pagosa Springs and Durango in Colorado on Monday.