Floodwaters recede near Bluff, but families and businesses face uncertain recovery

BLUFF, San Juan County — Larena Benn knows her family is safe. What she doesn't know is when they'll be able to go home.

"It's going to be muddy for quite some time," she said. "So, I don't know. We don't have a timeframe on when we can go home."

As water from the San Juan River recedes, families and business owners in San Juan County are still dealing with damaged homes, flooded businesses and a recovery they worry they cannot manage alone.

State Route 162 between Bluff and Montezuma Creek also remained closed Tuesday because of flooding.

For Benn, whose family lives within the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, returning home means waiting for more water to drain away before they can fully assess the damage.

Their home is filled with water and mud, with concerns about possible contamination making it unsafe to enter.

For now, the Desert Rose hotel owner has offered the family a place to stay in Bluff.

"We need help with flooring and drywall. Things to replace things in our home," she said. "Firewood, pellets for our pellet stoves, hay for our livestock, things like that that have been washed off."

The Benn family is well known in Utah and throughout the West for horse racing, and others are helping to take care of their horses for now.

Aneth Point Downs is *asking for donations to help the Benn family.

She is grateful for the support for her family, as well as donations of food and clothing.

"Right now, everyone is safe. That's the most important thing," she said. "We are safe, and we are doing what we can to get by."

At Bluff Gardens, owner Melanie Kranz is also trying to figure out how to recover.

The cabin rental business she and her husband have owned for about a decade is now closed because of flooding.

Instead of welcoming tourists, she has been canceling reservations and helping visitors find somewhere else to stay.

"Yeah, it's pretty severe," said Kranz. "We are having to just throw things away."

The business was their dream job. Now, flooded cabins need to be cleaned out, and employees are out of work.

"This is devastating," she said. "I mean, it's almost like starting over, but worse, because you have to clean out the mud. You're not starting from scratch."

Kranz described how quickly the situation became dangerous as water surged toward the property Sunday evening.

"It started coming quicker, and then we realized, 'Oh, this is like a surge,'" she said. "Within about 20 minutes, we were worried we would be trapped."

She credited emergency responders, town officials and volunteers for their work during the flooding.

But the cleanup ahead presents another challenge.

A friend helped to create a *fundraiser for Bluff Gardens.

"We're going to need a lot of help," Kranz said. "This is not going to be something we can do on our own."

Kranz said her insurance agent told her flood coverage requires a separate policy, leaving her without coverage for the flooding. She hopes some form of state or federal assistance might become available.

Lt. Governor Diedre Henderson is expected to tour the area Thursday morning.

The Bluff Community Foundation has also set up a *charity page to help with donations for flood assistance.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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