Tornado touches down on Navajo Nation near Monument Valley

A tornado touches down northeast of Monument Valley June 5. Submitted photo

A tornado touches down northeast of Monument Valley June 5. Submitted photo

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.- A tornado touched down northeast of Monument Valley June 5.

Around 8 p.m., Rose Whitehair, director of the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management, sent photos of a tornado touching down northeast of Monument Valley to the office of the President.

"There was (silver) dollar sized hail and multiple rockslides in the Montezuma Creek and Bluff area," Whitehair said. "No injuries or damages reported thus far."

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez urge tribal members to be safe during rainstorms passing over the nation.

"We encourage the traveling public to be cautious with the recent storms arising on the Navajo Nation. There have been marble sized hail, a tornado and rockslides reported," Begaye said.

He encouraged the public to report any storm related damages to their local law enforcement and to allow emergency personnel to do their job.

Vice President Jonathan Nez was in Monument Valley over the weekend and he, too, encouraged public safety.

"We saw some ominous clouds, but did not see the tornado. We are requesting that the general public slow down when traveling and to be careful during the storm," Nez said.

The traveling public is encouraged to stay away from Highway 95 near the Comb Ridge in Bluff, Utah. There were reports of rockslides in the area and the NNDEM is awaiting confirmation on road closures and alternate detour routes.

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