Disasters · San Juan RiverFarmington river flood: Evacuations ordered as river reaches 13.2 feetAired October 23, 2026 at 5:23 PM UTCWritten October 23, 2026 at 5:28 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07The San Juan River has breached its banks.0:09People in an alert area around Farmington have been told to evacuate.0:13Major flooding is occurring, and McGee Park is open as a shelter.0:16The actual crest and the timing of safe access are still unknown.0:20The San Juan River at Farmington has its own measuring station.0:24The Animas River at Farmington and the Animas near Cedar Hill have separate gauges.0:28Their water levels and forecasts can't fill gaps in the San Juan's measurements.0:32San Juan County's emergency alert told people in its affected area to evacuate now.0:37Issued shortly after 9 Friday morning, it said the river's banks had breached.0:41The alert identified McGee Park as open for people, pets, and RVs.0:45The evacuation instruction covers an alert area centered around Farmington.0:49Its exact street boundaries aren't clear, so residents need the location-specific0:54instructions from emergency officials.0:56The order can't be extended to everyone in the city or everyone across San Juan1:00County.1:00The river rose 1.7 feet in one hour.1:03At 9 a.m.1:04it stood at 11.5 feet with moderate flooding occurring.1:07At 10 a.m.1:08it reached 13.2 feet, and the National Weather Service classified the flooding as1:12major.1:12Flood stage at this gauge is 8.5 feet.1:15The earlier reading was 3 feet above that threshold.1:18By 10 a.m.1:19the river was 4.7 feet above it.1:21These are river gauge heights measured against a fixed reference.1:24Water depth on a road or inside a property varies with the location.1:28Weather officials raised the predicted peak by 1.8 feet.1:31Their earlier forecast called for 12.2 feet late Friday afternoon.1:35The update calls for 14.0 feet Friday afternoon.1:38Both figures describe a forecast crest.1:40A 14-foot crest would put the river 5.5 feet above flood stage.1:44Officials haven't given a precise hour for that peak.1:47The latest observation here is the 10 a.m.1:49reading of 13.2 feet.1:50The river's final crest hasn't yet been confirmed.1:53Weather officials say the river has exceeded the previous flood of record.1:57They cite a crest of 12.3 feet on September 6, 1909.2:01Friday's 13.2 foot reading is numerically 0.9 feet higher than that historical2:06figure.2:07We don't yet know whether the old and new measurements use the same starting level.2:11That leaves the historical comparison unsettled.2:14If the river reaches the forecast 14 feet, it would stand 1.7 feet above the crest2:20officials site from 1909.2:22McGee Park can accommodate people evacuating with pets and recreational vehicles.2:27That gives residents in the affected alert area a named shelter destination.2:31Emergency officials' instructions remain essential for choosing a safe route there.2:35Weather officials now expect the river to fall below flood stage early Saturday2:39afternoon, October 24th.2:41Their earlier prediction was late Saturday morning.2:43The revised timing is still a forecast, and falling water alone doesn't tell drivers2:47whether a flooded route is safe.2:49The earlier warning also gave conflicting end times.2:51One field said 4 p.m.2:53Saturday.2:53Its headline said noon Sunday.2:55While its description extended into Sunday afternoon, those different times can't be2:59treated as one reliable deadline for the danger.3:02The later warning lists a scheduled expiration of 2.04 Sunday morning, October 25th.3:07An alert's expiration and the time the river drops below flood stage can differ.3:12Residents still need emergency officials to confirm safe access.3:15The immediate instruction for people inside the evacuation alert area is to leave,3:19with McGee Park open for people, pets, and RVs.3:22Motorists must not drive around barricades or through flooded areas.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗