Navajo Nation Flood Kills Three, Including Girl Days Before 8th Birthday

Three members of a Navajo family died in flash flooding near Newcomb, New Mexico, after their truck became stuck in mud while they were returning from errands for an upcoming birthday celebration, relatives said Friday.

The victims were identified as Elsie Begay, her 7-year-old granddaughter Lucy Allison Mike, and Begay's close friend Dora Franklin. According to family accounts, the group was driving home with supplies for Lucy's eighth birthday party when heavy rain turned the roads treacherous and their vehicle bogged down.

Kalisi Begay, the child's mother, chose to walk the rest of the way home, leaving her mother and daughter behind. The water rose rapidly. The grandmother, the granddaughter and Franklin — whom they had called for assistance — were swept away while attempting to cross a wash.

"I think she was just wanting to get home," said Stella Wilson, Begay's niece.

The deaths came as a late-season surge of monsoon moisture brought intense rainfall to the Four Corners region, triggering flash floods across the Navajo Nation. The deluge has damaged roads, forced evacuations and left some communities cut off.

Navajo police reported that three families in Shiprock, New Mexico, were evacuated Friday evening as water levels rose near the San Juan River. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren declared a state of emergency Friday, with rain continuing to fall and multiple roads remaining closed.

"Please use alternate routes, check on our elders and relatives, and follow the guidance of our emergency personnel," Nygren said in a statement.

About 40 miles south of Newcomb, in the community of Mexican Springs, flooding rendered many dirt and gravel roads impassable, trapping some families and preventing others from reaching their homes.

"A lot of ditches are washed out, the culvert pipes are gone. There's big old, massive holes in the road," said Darnell Etsitty, a maintenance worker with the local government who spent Friday building alternate routes to help residents get in and out.

Etsitty said the Mexican Springs Chapter House had been converted into a temporary shelter, and volunteers were using ATVs to deliver food, water and supplies to stranded households.

Wilson said road conditions remained poor and her family still could not reach her mother. She urged others to be patient and wait for help.

"I just want to make sure other families make it home," she said.

Elsie Begay worked as a business technician at Sanostee Day School, where Lucy attended as a third grader. Franklin drove a bus for another nearby school.

Begay and Franklin loved working with children, Wilson said. Begay decorated the school's front office for every holiday and made everyone feel welcome, while Franklin handed out candy to kids as they boarded the bus. Begay also took part in fundraisers and helped with community events.

Lucy was crowned "Miss Sanostee Day School" on Sept. 4 and had been looking forward to her birthday party next Tuesday. Wilson described her niece as "beautiful" and "bright."

"She was a big blessing to her family," Wilson said.