Flash floods force evacuations in Arizona and Colorado as San Juan River rises

Pagosa Springs braces for a rising river

Officials in Pagosa Springs, a Rocky Mountain town of more than 2,000 people known for its hot springs and nearby ski resorts, warned on 1 November of potentially catastrophic flooding. The San Juan River was forecast to crest at more than 20 feet (6.1 meters) late that night. By sundown the river had reached about 14 feet (4.2 meters), according to Vicky Schaffer, a spokesperson for the county. Roads into and out of town were closed, and residents outside evacuation orders were asked to stay home. Officials also directed people in low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers to a shelter in a local church.

The 1911 flood is the benchmark officials used for comparison. The river crested at approximately 17.8 feet (5.4 meters) that year and wiped out most of the town of Pagosa at the time. In a Facebook post, the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office assessed the forecast in stark terms.

“This is a potentially catastrophic flood event.”

1911 flood crest17.8

Crest by sundown, 1 November14

1911 flood crest

17.8 ft

Crest by sundown, 1 November

14 ft

Data from the article text

Evacuations spread across Arizona and New Mexico

In Sedona, Arizona, officials told residents near Oak Creek to leave at once because floodwaters had trapped multiple people in their homes. Yavapai County and the community of Camp Verde issued similar orders for areas beside swollen rivers and creeks. Mandatory evacuations also went out in communities in northern New Mexico and central Arizona, and the rain forced the closure of several highways. Gila County ordered a total evacuation of Gisela, a community on Tonto Creek more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Sedona. In Tucson, some 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Sedona, flash floods, river flooding and swift boat rescues followed the storm.

Flagstaff search and a stark rainfall comparison

Rain fell almost without pause on 1 November in Flagstaff, Arizona, flooding local roads and overwhelming storm drains. A police statement that evening said officers were looking for a man who had slipped into fast-moving floodwaters and had not come back up. Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson, summed up the scale of the rain in a single line.

“We are getting two or three months of rain in a span of a couple of days.”

Warnings stretch across the region through Monday

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings and alerts covering almost the entire state of Arizona, along with parts of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, western New Mexico and southern Nevada. The Four Corners area, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet, is also under alerts. Forecasters said the storm system would bring threats of flash flooding through Monday, 2 November. The Weather Prediction Center warned that heavy rain falling on ground already saturated could run off quickly, raising the risk of renewed flash flooding on steep terrain, in slot canyons, washes and burn-scar areas. The affected areas were still recovering from devastating floods that struck in late October.