SANTA FE, N.M. (Azat TV) – Severe storms swept across New Mexico on Saturday, October 25, 2026, bringing a possible tornado to Santa Fe that tore up trees, downed power lines, and damaged homes, while northwest New Mexico grappled with historic river flooding, mandatory evacuations, and hundreds of emergency water rescues reported by KOAT.
The severe weather struck multiple parts of the state over the weekend, creating a dual crisis of wind damage in central communities and catastrophic water inundation across northern and northwestern river basins. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham prepared to request federal disaster assistance as emergency responders struggled to reach stranded residents, and forecasters warned of more severe weather heading into Sunday.
Tornado Warning and Neighborhood Damage in Santa Fe
In Santa Fe, an intense thunderstorm prompted a sudden tornado warning during the evening hours of October 25, 2026. Residents in the Los Cedros and Camino Carlos Rey neighborhoods reported seeing funnel clouds as high winds battered properties. According to local police reports detailed by FOX Weather, the storm uprooted several large trees, causing telephone poles and power lines to collapse onto residential roofs and block streets.
Gas lines were struck during the severe weather, prompting officials to issue a temporary shelter-in-place order for the affected zones. City crews and police officers worked through the night to clear debris and inspect structural damage. Although the shelter-in-place order was later lifted, emergency services urged residents to exercise extreme caution as recovery efforts continued.
Historic San Juan River Flooding and Evacuations
While Santa Fe managed wind and structural damage, the situation in northwest New Mexico proved far more severe. Once-in-a-generation flooding along the San Juan River inundated homes, forced mandatory evacuations, and trapped families. San Juan County officials reported executing between 200 and 300 emergency rescues by Saturday afternoon, with crews conducting door-to-door checks in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Many residents initially resisted evacuation orders. Adriannah Romero, a San Juan County resident, described the harrowing experience of staying behind before floodwaters breached her home. “We got the notifications to evacuate, but it was our house… We didn’t want to leave,” Romero said, noting that water quickly reached her shins and forced her father to place children on top of parked cars before escaping in a car that barely navigated the submerged streets.
Emmeri Ortega, a local 211 operator, organized volunteer teams to field calls from displaced residents who lost everything. Compounding the crisis, monitoring stations on the San Juan and Animas rivers failed amid the rising current, prompting county officials to warn that additional surges were expected overnight. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office urged the public to stay clear of evacuated zones to prevent hindering ongoing rescue operations.
Navajo Nation Response and Regional Outlook
In Shiprock, floodwaters from the San Juan River submerged local playgrounds and threatened residential areas within the Navajo Nation. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren toured the devastation and addressed community members, stating that recovery efforts would extend across the coming weeks rather than days. Nygren announced that he is working with tribal lawmakers to draft emergency legislation allocating $10 million for disaster relief.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service maintained Flood Watches across parts of the state, predicting widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches through Tuesday. With saturated grounds and swollen riverbeds expected to persist, state and local agencies remain on high alert as communities assess the long-term cost of the dual weather disasters.