Group works to collect donations for flood victims in Navajo Nation

SALT LAKE CITY — After severe flooding in southeastern Utah, one group is working to collect items for people in need who live in the Navajo Nation.

The group Navajo Strong is gathering donations to take from the Wasatch Front to San Juan County, where many families and businesses are dealing with the aftermath of significant flooding.

Many people had to evacuate earlier this week as the San Juan River rose to very high levels. Some of those evacuees have been unable to return home.

"I do have family down on the reservation in the Tuba City, Arizona area, and they got flooded as well," said Leah Swenson, program director at Navajo Strong who also hosts an Indigenous-themed program on KRCL radio.

Swenson is organizing efforts to collect items like food, hygiene products, clothing, cleaning supplies and other things to take to USU Blanding where they'll be given out to flood victims in the Navajo Nation. A full list of needed items can be found here.

"A lot of people lost their homes, their belongings, and it just seems like with this weather this year, it's just been really bad," Swenson said.

Navajo Strong is collecting donations for the next few days with plans to deliver the items to southeastern Utah on Monday. Anyone who would like to donate can email [email protected] or visit NavajoStrong.org. Additionally, items can be dropped off at Les Schwab Tire Center at 3845 Constitution Blvd. in West Valley City.

"It's nice that the community is actually all rallying and getting together," Swenson said, "and trying to get stuff to them."