What we know
What we know: Uninsured and flooded out, a Colorado man worries if life will be normal again
Compiled Nov 6
What we know
- Matthew Martinez, 60, has lived nearly his whole life in a canyon on the Navajo River in southwestern Colorado and had never seen severe flooding before now.
- The river surged through his home and outbuildings twice over the last two weeks, damaging his barn, sweeping away a corral, and covering his house in mud.
- He is missing a horse and lost tools that washed downstream.
- Martinez did not have flood insurance because his house was too close to the water to qualify for it.
- He estimates at least $200,000 in losses.
- The flooding, linked to a supercharged El Niño event, hit multiple areas across the Four Corners region including Flagstaff, Pagosa Springs, Durango, Farmington, Bluff, the Navajo Nation, Sedona and Tucson.
What we don’t know yet
- Martinez does not yet know what FEMA assistance, if any, he will receive, saying only 'we'll see what options we have.'
- He is unsure whether it's worth asking family and friends for help with cleanup.
- He worries he could end up homeless once his emergency voucher runs out in a few days.
- He does not know how he'll feed his remaining animals next year without pasture.
Open questions
- Will Martinez receive FEMA assistance, and how much?
- Where will he live once his emergency voucher runs out?
- How will he afford the cost of debris removal and rebuilding?
- How will he feed his animals next year without pasture on his land?
Drawn from the Associated Press report. “What we don’t know” lists only what the reporting itself flags as unresolved.