San Juan River Flooding Strands Bloomfield Families as Evacuation Shelters Fill
Floodwaters from the San Juan River breached its banks in Bloomfield on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, swamping homes and roads that had already sustained damage during last week’s flooding. Chris Bloom and his family, who had arrived from Delta, Colorado, just weeks prior to assist his elderly parents, found themselves trapped by the rising waters. Bloom stated that nobody notified them when upstream neighbors began evacuating early in the morning on Oct. 27, leaving them unprepared for the rapid inundation. Their property, situated roughly 100 yards from the river, is now caked in a thick layer of mud, with a tilted camper and four dogs trapped inside that the family feeds whenever access permits. Bloom, 40, noted that debris from the flooding broke the windows of his parents’ mobile home, leading the family to return and board up the plywood-covered windows. He added that getting his family and elderly parents out of danger was chaos,
and described the experience as miserable,
stating, It’s terrible losing everything.
Bloom mentioned that neither he nor his parents had ever witnessed flooding of this magnitude.
Evacuation Support at San Juan County Fairgrounds
The American Red Cross established an emergency evacuation shelter at the San Juan County Fairgrounds near Farmington to house displaced residents. Volunteer Rebecca Havens noted that the shelter accommodated about 180 people by late Friday night, with the count reaching 192 individuals by Monday as evacuees filtered in and out. Makeshift rooms utilizing curtains, cots, and blankets were set up inside the facility. Volunteers distributed food, medical supplies, and children’s resources, including a Halloween pumpkin-painting contest. Accommodations were also arranged for pets kept in kennels alongside their owners, alongside a designated livestock shelter. San Juan County Community Health and Social Services Director Megan Cullip praised the influx of community support, emphasizing that assistance will remain necessary over the coming months. Havens mentioned that some people arrived at the facility soaked to the bone
and noted that there is still plenty of room for people in need.
Cullip urged people, I hope we maintain this level of drive to help our neighbors,
adding, Don’t lose that fire to help.
County Officials Expect Months of Recovery After Floodwaters Recede
County officials reported that the full extent of the infrastructure damage across San Juan County remains unknown as floodwaters recede. Roadways near Bloomfield, including paths used by eight-year-old Brycen Bloom, sustained heavy washouts and debris accumulation. Cullip stated that recovery operations will extend over multiple months. Meanwhile, the Bloom family plans to remain in New Mexico to help rebuild his parents’ property, despite their own home in Colorado having suffered damage from recent storms.
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