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Rescuers saved hundreds of people from floodwaters in the Four Corners region. That's where the borders of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona meet at a single point. Some areas in that desert region are starting to dry out, but weather forecasters say more showers and thunderstorms are expected. NPR's Vanessa Romo reports.
VANESSA ROMO, BYLINE: Since Wednesday, powerful rains have pummeled the swath of the Southwest. That's caused local rivers, streams and waterways to flood areas that typically don't get much rain. In many places, the earth is heavily saturated and can't absorb much more. Justin Kern, communications director with the Red Cross, says more than 200 people are in shelters as they wait for waters to fully recede.
JUSTIN KERN: They've really been slammed the last couple of days, got mass evacuations. We got tornadoes and hail where they may not normally see it.
ROMO: The National Weather Service says the rains are starting to let up. Still, Devin Neeley, a public information officer for San Juan County in New Mexico, warns residents not to return home just yet, saying it's still a highly dangerous environment.
DEVIN NEELEY: The water is hazardous in and of itself because of raw sewage in the water, and if your garage was washed out, fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, all those things are now in the water.
ROMO: He says it's going to be another few days before power and gas are fully restored in some places, and Neeley is asking residents to be patient as they brace for another potential storm that could hit as early as Thursday.
Vanessa Romo, NPR News.
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