Navajo Tribal Police are asking the NWS to retract warning. As of yet the NWS is still saying the dam is in imminent danger of failing.
While Navajo police do say there are concerns about an earthen dam, crews have built a spillway to relieve pressure and have water pumps going.
I would recommend evacuations continue until the dam has been assessed by engineers.
Evacuations are in progress
A flash flood warning is also in effect for McKinley County until 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Crownpoint law enforcement reported the “imminent failure of the dam” just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
When the dam breaks, a flash flood is expected to impact low laying areas of Crownpoint – including the Indian Health Service Hospital.
An evacuation for that hospital is in progress.
This continuing water event is creating havoc throughout the Rocky Mountain States with severe flooding and dam breaches in Colorado. And now in New Mexico.
6:28 PM PT: Thirty to forty homes are being evacuated as well as the Indian Services Hospital located in the floodplain
As you can see the water is not clear so do not cross any roadways that are flooded and do not play in the water as debris can strike you.
6:40 PM PT:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
CENTRAL MCKINLEY COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO
* UNTIL 1130 PM MDT
* AT 537 PM MDT...THE IMMINENT FAILURE OF THE DAM IN NORTHEAST
CROWNPOINT WAS REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE DAM IS EXPECTED
TO BREAK SOMETIME BETWEEN 630 AND 830 PM. WHEN THE DAM FAILS
A FLASH FLOOD WILL IMPACT LOW LAYING AREAS OF CROWNPOINT...
INCLUDING THE INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE HOSPITAL. AN EVACUATION IS
IN PROGRESS. FOR SAFETY...HEAD TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
Instructions: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE.
6:56 PM PT: From the link above
“It’s a fluid situation. The State EOC Director is checking with the State Engineer to gauge the amount of water that is potentially dammed.”
7:25 PM PT: It looks like the danger has passed the expected breach period thankfully. Please keep posting in the comments if the situation changes. I will check the situation periodically as well.
Esteban Lujan with Homeland Security and Emergency Management said that they had sent someone to the area to inspect the dam, and determined that there was no imminent danger.