Colorado Man Faces $200,000 Loss and Uncertainty After Navajo River Flooding
Matthew Martinez, a 60-year-old resident of Edith, Colorado, is grappling with an estimated $200,000 in losses after the Navajo River surged through his property twice in two weeks. Martinez, who has lived in a canyon on the Navajo River for most of his life, had never experienced severe flooding until recently. The floods, which also affected other areas in the Four Corners region including Flagstaff, Arizona; Pagosa Springs and Durango in Colorado; Farmington, New Mexico; Bluff, Utah; and parts of the Navajo Nation, caused significant damage to his home and outbuildings. His barn is damaged, a corral was swallowed by the river, and his house is covered in mud. Martinez, who was recovering from knee surgery at the time of the floods, did not have flood insurance because his property was too close to the water. He and his fiancée have been displaced, moving from a son's home to a hotel, and now to an Airbnb, with concerns about potential homelessness once his emergency voucher expires. Scientists attribute...
