FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — In the Navajo community of Klagetoh, like others across the vast reservation, health representatives make it a point to know where all the high-risk residents live and what their medical needs are.So when wintry weather stranded hundreds of people in deep snow and mud, community members got out their maps, pointed them out and relayed critical information to those tasked with reaching such residents who topped the priority list.
Without that knowledge, officials might have found themselves scrambling to locate residents in often rugged terrain where homes are typically isolated, miles apart from one another. “It would have been devastating,” says Flo Long, a volunteer with the Klagetoh response team.
Getting to the residents was the hard part. Heavy snow and deep mud made many roads across both the Navajo and Hopi reservations that cover northeastern Arizona inaccessible. While most residents who live in the most remote areas maintain strong ties to the land and can last days without leaving their homes, they found themselves still stuck after more than a week and unable to get to the grocery store and medical appointments.
The Navajo Nation declared a state of emergency after the most powerful in a series of winter storms hit the 27,000 square-mile reservation and much of the state on Jan. 21. A federal declaration followed.
Food, hay, water and coal were stockpiled at command posts across the reservation. National Guard helicopters carried supplies from Holbrook and air dropped them to residents who stamped out “Help” or “Need Food” in the snow.
Tribal members familiar with communities went along on some flights, helping to identify the homes of residents in need.
“They know the lay of the land, they know the people,” state Department of Emergency Management spokesman Eric Neitzel said Saturday. “Without them, we’d still be in Day 2 mode.”
Anyone with an immediate medical need was asked to wave a red cloth or lay down on the ground. It’s a system similar to one Navajo officials have used in the past where a certain color designated the need for food, hay, water or medical assistance.
Though a few calls trickle in each day from concerned family members who haven’t heard from or seen loved ones, tribal officials believe most medical needs have been addressed and are transitioning to working with residents in remote areas and with livestock. Selena Manychildren, a spokeswoman for the Navajo Department of Emergency Management, said livestock owners are encouraged to find temporary shelter for their animals that can get infections spread through muddy waters.
The relief effort based in Holbrook is expected to continue through the first part of the week and eventually be turned over to tribal officials. More than 36,000 meals, 30,000 gallons of water, 120 tons of coal and 5,600 blankets have been sent to the Navajo and Hopi tribes.
Major roadways have been cleared, but the lack of heavy equipment in some areas has delayed response to secondary roads. Residents are encouraged to travel early in the morning or late at night when the ground is frozen to avoid getting stuck in the mud — something they’re well accustomed to dealing with.
Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler, who is Navajo, said the communities’ response to the storm has been impressive. The health representatives do weekly, if not daily checks on residents with medical needs, working together with area hospitals.
“They’ve been good at getting themselves ready,” said Fowler, who aided with relief efforts in the Tuba City area. “They know where their families live, and what they’ve done is organize themselves at the local level and try to get to people.”
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