Home / Disasters and Accidents / Southwest Swamped: Flash Floods Force Evacuations Across Four States
Southwest Swamped: Flash Floods Force Evacuations Across Four States
2 Nov
Summary
- Heavy rains caused flash flooding and mandatory evacuations in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.
- Pagosa Springs, Colorado, altered its Election Day voting plans due to severe river flooding.
- Arizona experienced rainfall equivalent to two to three months' worth in just a couple of days.
Flash flooding and mandatory evacuations are underway across parts of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona due to heavy weekend rainfall. Several rivers in the Southwest have begun receding, but the threat persists for some communities. Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a town near ski resorts and known for its hot springs, faced potentially catastrophic flooding, prompting officials to adjust Election Day voting plans for its residents. Colorado's La Plata County reported extensive flooding, damage to bridges, and closure of all roads.
New Mexico also issued new evacuation orders for residents in San Juan County, including Navajo communities, as the San Juan River continued to rise downstream. Rio Arriba County residents were evacuated, and the Rio Chama remained under a flood warning. In Arizona, towns like Sedona ordered residents near Oak Creek to evacuate. Yavapai County and Camp Verde experienced evacuations, while Gila County ordered the total evacuation of Gisela.
Arizona has been particularly hard-hit, with some areas receiving the equivalent of two to three months' worth of rain in just a couple of days. This intense rainfall led to flash floods, river flooding, and swiftboat rescues in Tucson. Flagstaff experienced continuous rain, flooding roads and overwhelming storm drains, with authorities searching for a man who fell into fast-moving floodwaters. In Pinetop-Lakeside, flooding caused sewage backups into homes.
