Controller seeks emergency trust fund as flooding strikes Navajo Nation
Navajo Times | Sharon Chischilly
The San Juan River flows beneath a bridge in Shiprock Saturday, Oct. 24, as muddy floodwaters surround trees and brush along the riverbanks. Dark storm clouds hang over the area following days of heavy rainfall that sent the river above flood stage.
DÁ’DEESTŁ’IN HÓTSAA
Controller Sean McCabe is asking the Navajo Nation Council to establish an emergency management trust fund with annual funding as severe flooding damages homes, roads and infrastructure in Diné communities.
McCabe outlined the proposal in a statement Saturday, Oct. 24, as emergency crews continued responding to flooding that prompted evacuation alerts and rescues in several communities.
The latest storms have flooded homes in Dennehotso and Rock Point, Arizona, damaged roads and sent the San Juan River above flood stage near Shiprock. Emergency crews rescued 30 people from seven families in Dennehotso Thursday, while rising river levels prompted evacuation alerts in the Shiprock area.
President Buu Nygren is scheduled to hold a news conference at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The controller announced that his office has increased purchase card limits to give Navajo Nation divisions greater purchasing capacity for authorized emergency expenses. He did not specify the new limits.
McCabe said his office would monitor purchases and maintain financial oversight while helping divisions and programs obtain the resources needed for emergency operations.
Navajo Times | Sharon Chischilly
A rainbow stretches over the San Juan River in Shiprock Saturday, Oct. 24, as muddy floodwaters flow past trees and homes along the riverbank beneath dark storm clouds.
“The Office of the Controller is behind our people and our emergency responders,” McCabe told the Navajo Times Saturday evening. “We stand ready to provide maximum financial capacity to get critical financial resources on the ground as quickly as possible. May our communities remain strong as we come together to address this time of need.”
McCabe cited a Sept. 17 amendment to the Navajo Nation’s emergency declaration, which expanded access to chapter emergency funds and authorized additional measures to address monsoon flooding and infrastructure damage.
Under the declaration, chapters may use their available emergency assistance funds to address urgent needs caused by the storms, provided expenditures comply with Navajo Nation law.
In April, the Council and President Nygren approved $6 million in emergency assistance funding for all 110 chapters. The money was allocated for fiscal 2026 to help communities prepare for and respond to severe weather and other emergencies.
McCabe said his office would provide guidance on financial procedures and help chapters use their authorized emergency funds.
The controller also proposed establishing a dedicated Emergency Management Trust Fund that would receive annual funding rather than requiring the Navajo Nation to identify financial resources each time an emergency occurs.
Under the proposal, the fund would support emergency preparedness, immediate response and recovery efforts. McCabe did not say how much money should be deposited annually or provide a timetable for the Council to consider the proposal.
“We need to be proactive, not reactive. When emergencies happen, we should not have to begin identifying and allocating resources after our communities have already been affected,” McCabe said in his statement Saturday.
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