Colorado river to crest above 1911 record as Southwest drowns in rain
The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs is forecast to reach 20 feet, surpassing the previous high-water mark, while mandatory evacuations sweep across Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.
By Fatou Kim ·
Officials in Pagosa Springs warned residents on Sunday to prepare for a potential record-breaking flood as the San Juan River approached historic levels. The town, a hub for ski tourists and hot springs in the Colorado Rockies, faced a forecast crest of more than 20 feet late Sunday night. This projection exceeds the 17.8 feet recorded during the 1911 flood that devastated the settlement.
The Archuleta county sheriff’s office described the event as potentially catastrophic in a Facebook post. They noted that the 1911 flood wiped out most of what existed as the town at that time. By sundown on Sunday, Vicky Schaffer, a county spokesperson, reported that the river had already reached approximately 14 feet. Authorities closed roads in and out of the town. They urged residents who were not under mandatory evacuation orders to remain indoors.
The heavy rainfall did not stop at the Colorado border. Communities in northern New Mexico and central Arizona issued their own mandatory evacuations. In Sedona, Arizona, officials ordered residents near Oak Creek to leave immediately. Floodwaters trapped multiple people in their homes, forcing rescuers to intervene. Nearby, Yavapai county and the community of Camp Verde ordered evacuations for residents living near swollen waterways.
Further southeast, Gila county ordered the total evacuation of Gisela, a community of several hundred residents along Tonto Creek. The wet conditions triggered flash floods and river flooding in Tucson, located about 230 miles south of Sedona. Swift boat rescues were required there. Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson, stated that the region was getting two or three months of rain in a span of a couple of days.
In Flagstaff, Arizona, rain fell nearly nonstop on Sunday. Local roads flooded and storm drains overwhelmed. Police reported searching for a man who slipped into fast-moving floodwaters and was not seen resurfacing. The weather system began on Saturday evening and was expected to continue through Monday. The National Weather Service estimated that as much as 4 inches of rain could fall across the region. This precipitation is fueled by a series of Pacific storm systems.
The weather service issued flood warnings and watches for nearly all of Arizona and parts of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, and western New Mexico. The warnings also covered part of southern Nevada. This includes the sparsely populated Four Corners region where the four states meet. Residents in the normally arid area continue to deal with the drenching conditions.
