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Some Tohono O'odham Nation evacuees finally returning home

Posted at 12:57 PM, Oct 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-17 15:57:29-04

Residents of two small towns in the Tohono O'odham Nation are finally returning home after flood worries prompted an evacuation order.

The nation says residents the Ali Chugk and Kohatk communities can return to their homes after spend weeks in emergency shelters near the town of Sells. Residents of the Kohatk community will stay in the emergency shelters for now, the nation said in a press release.

Officials first issued the evacuation order on Oct. 2, warning of imminent failure of the Menagers Dam amid flooding and constant downpours. The dam held for weeks, though the evacuation order remained in effect as officials waited for the water level to drop.

The nation's water resources department has a lake level monitor in Menagers Lake which takes measurements every four hours, according to the press release. They'll continue to monitor those levels after residents return to their homes.