Stuck in the Mud
Navajo Nation asks for help after severe weather strands residents

Daniel Zuni climbs into his mud-covered Jeep Wrangler on Monday after stopping to buy a newspaper at the Gallup Independent office. Zuni, who lives in Pinedale, said that the mud came from commuting to work, and the recent rain and snow have made the roads so difficult to drive that he pulled three different vehicles out of the sticky mess over the weekend.(Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation on Monday asked McKinley County to intercede with New Mexico to provide more six-wheeled trucks to reach Din residents stranded by snow and mud.

Acting Manager of the Emergency Management Department Johnny Johnson said Tuesday afternoon that about 22 families have been helped so far, with the focus moving to the Tsaile-Wheatfields Chapter as the hardest hit, especially south of Din College's main campus in the mountains above Canyon De Chelley National Monument.

"We plan to extract them," using the larger six-wheelers from the National Guard units, once they arrive, Johnson indicated. He added that the smaller six-wheelers from the Resource Division Rangers and the Apache County Sheriff's Office couldn't penetrate the icy, mucky snow and mud up to almost a foot deep in ruts on Saturday when Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. flew into the paralyzed region.

Tuesday morning a staging area was set up at the Tsaile-Wheatfields Chapter House because of confirmed reports of families living south of Din College and Wheatfields Dam needing emergency assistance, especially for insulin, as well as wood, water and food. People in the area who need help and have telephones can call (928) 724-3326.

"The area is inaccessible due to extreme mud conditions," Johnson said. But a six-wheeler managed to penetrate the terrain and delivered insulin Tuesday morning, along with assisting others in the family with their medical needs.

As of Tuesday, most of the other requests for assistance since Dec. 28 have come from the Leupp, Bird Springs, Steamboat, Black Mesa, Pinon, Crystal and Mexican Springs chapters, according to Johnson.

No N.M. declarations
None of the seven New Mexico counties which the reservation covers have declared a disaster yet; however, 51 of the 110 chapters have turned in assessments to the emergency operations center in Window Rock.

The tribe also has taken the second step toward possible federal assistance, said Emergency Management Commission Chair Herman Shorty. The first was to get the Board of Supervisors of Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties to declare a state of emergency, then Gov. Janet Napolitano added them to the list in her declaration. This established the foundation for the governor to request President George W. Bush to issue a disaster declaration, which frees up U.S. emergency funds.

Johnson summed up the situation in a few words by saying it all depends upon the weather. A big storm moved onto the reservation from California on Tuesday and was expected to leave today. A few days of sunshine or at least no rain or snow were expected to follow.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he said no storm-related deaths have been reported.

So far, among the almost 130 people who have been helped, most needed wood or coal for heating and cooking, water and food for sustenance and medicines for illnesses. The emergency manager said only a few requests have been received for help with livestock and feed. In addition to the 22 families which received assistance, two others were referred back to their chapter houses for help available locally.

Johnson said about 50 families had asked for help, mostly to grade trails and roads leading to their remote homes, because they couldn't go anywhere in their vehicles. He said the BIA has been grading the roads as fast as it can.

Mud bog roads
The relatively warm temperatures, coupled with rain, melted the snow so fast it turned unpaved or unmaintained roads into mud bogs almost a foot deep.

The emergency manager said that weather reports called for 4-6 more inches of snow overnight at the higher elevations piled on top of 6-10 inches still on the ground.

For two weeks, the western and central parts of the reservation have suffered from the series of storms which have rolled over the countryside with only a day or two of dryness between them. So far, the northern and eastern regions have escaped the brunt of the flooding and gooey mud, officials added.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. has made one trip into the Tsaile-Wheatfields Chapter and plans to do so again, perhaps today or Thursday, if he can get another helicopter ride from the State of Arizona.

Conditions in the Chinle, Tachee-Blue Gap and Whippoorwill chapters were so bad that schools closed Tuesday and were expected to be shut down today also, "if the weather remains as is," Johnson said.

Storm damage widespread
Johnson offered his deepest appreciation and highest praise for the people in the chapters the Community Health Representatives (CHR), the senior citizens center staffs, the Law Enforcement Department patrol officers, Resource Division Rangers and the Sheriff's Offices' deputies who go out into the snow and mud and obtain the assessments from residents. Those reports are turned into the emergency operation center at Public Safety Division headquarters in Window Rock, which then contacts the appropriate people to provide the needed help.

Meanwhile, in the Little Colorado River valley's Bird Springs Chapter, all the evacuated families have returned home and things are, relatively speaking, drying out, according to Lt. Ronni Wauneka, Dilkon Law Enforcement District commander.

In the Window Rock police precinct, Sgt. Ronald Gene reported two families got stuck near The Summit in St. Michaels Chapter. The fire department towed them out and an officer got them home, he said. Tuesday night, CHR's and the chapter staff were scheduled to make checks on families in the outlying areas so aid could be sent in this morning while the lower temperatures kept the ground firmer.

Most of Arizona's attention has been focused on the Sedona area south of Flagstaff. In Flagstaff, the Arizona Transportation Department cut the speed limit on a short section of Interstate 40 from 65 mph to 35 mph for both east and westbound traffic at the junction with Interstate 17. The state said the potholes caused by the heavy rain and snow can be patched only with drier weather.

Coconino County and Flagstaff City also announced that homeowners who suffer damage of 40 percent or more of the value of their home might be eligible for U.S. Small Business Administration loans by calling toll-free 1-800-559-9289.

County Health Department officials advise boiling well water at least 10 minutes before drinking because of the danger of contamination from septic systems being inundated by the wet weather. They also advise reducing toilet flushing and other sewer uses to a minimum, also because the septic systems may be saturated.

More information may be obtained by calling toll-free 1-877-522-7800.

To contact reporter Jim Maniaci, telephone (505) 371-5443.