Chinle, Arizona – Many residents of Chinle, Arizona, were left homeless last week as rain and meltwater flooded their communities.

Part of the Navajo tribe, the Chinle were suffering from drought when the floods occurred.

“This is the worst I have ever seen since I have lived here,” said one Chinlu resident. Fox 10 reporter Marissa Salvak.

Arizona and parts of the Southwest had record snowfall this winter. For example, the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, west of Chinlu, broke snowfall records with more than 250 inches of accumulated snow.

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As spring temperatures warmed and the snow melted, water flowed downstream, flooding rivers and lakes downstream.

According to the Facebook page of Navajo Nation President Buu NigrenFlooding in Chinlu occurred on Friday after overflows from Wheatfields and Zeile lakes were released, causing berms to contain rising waters to fail.

The levee has withstood other floods for 15-20 years. But this recent flood event was powerful enough to break it.

“There were many houses facing where the embankment had broken, and the water kept rushing into the houses,” Nygren said. “Some of them were the only ones they had and it was really sad to see that.

For many residents, mud and sand began to fill their cars and homes.

The Navajo and Apache County emergency management teams have created a joint command center with direct views of the affected area in a 3-mile radius. Volunteers also sent food and water to residents.

Sarbak said the Navajo issued an evacuation order before the flood, but many residents were unable or unwilling to leave their property and livestock.

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The water is now being turned and much of it is retreating. However, Sarbak reports more thaw is expected in the coming weeks.