No way in or out of some Diné chapters

By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

BLUE GAP-TACHEE — The Navajo Nation is reeling from snowmelt run-off which is causing extremely muddy roads and flash floods in areas, the worst of which are in Blue Gap-Tachee, Klagetoh, Cornfield and Greasewood Springs.

Some of the roads are washed out in those communities making travel nearly impossible.

“The snow is melting and the roads are getting bad,” Ella Begay, community services coordinator for Blue Gap-Tachee, said.

She said that Navajo Route 29 has deep mud and is impassable.

“There’s no way in or out of Blue Gap,” resident Charley Mitchell said. “There’s a lot of people that haven’t even left. Nobody can even get to work.”

Even vehicles with four-wheel drive are not able to maneuver the muddy roads.

“I haven’t seen anyone on the road today,” Mitchell said in a phone interview on Thursday. “We just have to wait it out.”

Because many people are stranded, the chapter staff members are on stand-by to allow people to wait there or spend the night if they have to, even though the chapter has very limited supplies. Some residents are leaving their vehicles at the chapter house and walking back to their homes as far as five miles.

“It’s been like this for three days now,” Begay said.

Because of that, some people who had run out of food walked over to the chapter house and were transported to Basha’s in Pinon. They had to walk back with their groceries because the N 29 is impassable, Begay said.

Another resident walked two miles to the chapter seeking fuel.

“They look so pitiful when they come out. I wish I could do more for them,” Begay said. However, there is very little that can be done while the roads are washed out and staff have to wait at the chapter house to assist community members.

“Risk is pretty high for elderly,” Begay said. There are 125 elderly in the community — 32 of whom have high-risk medical conditions.

While the chapter had groceries available for residents, very few have been able to make it to the chapter house to get them.

On Thursday, there were more snow showers intermittently throughout the day in the community.

School-age children in Blue Gap-Tachee attend school at Chinle, Cottonwood, Pinon and Low Mountain, but have been unable to make it school.

“I haven’t seen any bus going by for the past two days,” Begay said. The Pinon Unified School District closed for the week and the Blue Gap Head Start is taking an early spring break.

Nearby communities are also feeling the effects of the snow melt. The Navajo Nation’s Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Program reported that police blocked Navajo Route 4, west of neighboring Tselani-Cottonwood Chapter, on Wednesday evening because of flash flooding across the roadway.

According to Navajo County Supervisor and Hardrock Chapter President Percy Deal, Chinle District 4 communities are presently faced with hardships and have exhausted all resources. Routes 8029 and 8027 are impassable due to mud.

On Wednesday, Fish and Wildlife personnel rescued an 84-year-old female and her daughter who had been stuck in the mud for two days near Toyei. The two did not require medical attention but were in need of water, food and fuel.

The tribe’s Emergency Operation Center also reported that roads are bad or impassable in Greasewood Springs, Tuba City Moencopi Valley and Forest Lake. It is also discouraging travel near Blue Gap-Tachee and Whippoorwill.

Oaksprings Chapter is reporting that Puerco Wash and Black Creek Wash are running full and fast at this time.

The EOC is cautioning against crossing or entering flooded areas. It also advises traveling in the early morning or late evening on unpaved roads and cautions against traveling on impassable roads.

The EOC is planning to conduct a thorough assessment of hazards that could endanger low-lying areas, such as dam safety, flash floods, road washout and large ponds, according to the Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Program.