Four Corners Floods Force Evacuations and Rooftop Rescues, With More Rain on the Way

Floodwaters across the Four Corners region have forced evacuations, closed roads and prompted rescues from rooftops in New Mexico and Colorado, according to reports from The Guardian, ABC News and NPR. Officials say the threat is not over, with thunderstorm watches active in many of the same areas through Sunday.

No deaths had been reported as of Friday, officials told reporters, but local leaders warn that the damage and disruption could last a long time.

What it means for residents on the ground

The most direct effect has been on people living near rivers. The Associated Press, in the ABC News report, said some 600 households were told to evacuate in Farmington, New Mexico, where areas along the San Juan River were closed off. Farmington is the biggest city in the Four Corners, the only place in the U.S. where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet.

San Juan County spokesman Devin Neeley said crews were pulling people from roofs and from houses with 3 or 4 feet of water inside, using boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles. He said the number of people rescued was unknown and that rivers kept rising even as skies cleared. NPR quoted him as saying the county had not seen flooding like this in generations.

In southwest Colorado, mandatory evacuations were ordered along four rivers, including the San Juan River through Pagosa Springs, The Guardian reported. The Archuleta County sheriff's office told some residents to shelter in place because many roads were impassable and unsafe. Sheriff Mike Le Roux said the flooding there was worse than forecast and a full 3 feet higher than a 100-year flood on the San Juan River only a year ago. He described widespread, catastrophic damage to state, county and private infrastructure.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared disaster emergencies in 11 counties and authorized National Guard help for rescue efforts in the southwest part of the state. Photos from the state transportation department showed a washed-out section of Highway 550 near Silverton, according to Colorado Public Radio, as reported by The Guardian.

Damage across the region

• Utah: The city of Hurricane declared a state of emergency Thursday. The Guardian and ABC News put the number of homes affected at about 80, along with 50 recreational vehicles, while NPR reported more than 100 homes and RVs damaged.
• Navajo Nation: Police said Thursday they had rescued seven families, 30 people, from flooded homes, NPR reported.
• Hopi Tribe: The tribe declared a state of emergency over damage to roads, bridges, homes and other infrastructure, according to NPR.
• Arizona: Earlier in the week, tornadoes and hail damaged roofs and power lines, and at least one person was injured.

Why the water keeps coming

The flooding is the latest result of two months of heavy rain that ended a summer of drought, said Kate Abbott, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, Colorado. She said the ground is saturated and cannot take much more rain without flooding, and that this is the third or fourth round of such moisture in as many weeks.

NPR reported that the remnants of Hurricane Trudy, which was active from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18 in the Pacific Ocean, formed a slow-moving low-pressure system that moved southwest. Meteorologist Kris Sanders said portions of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah got two to four inches of rain, and higher elevations such as the San Juan Mountains got up to six inches. He said those amounts “are records in themselves,” though such storms typically occur there at this time of year.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, told NPR the storms are fueled by a large amount of moisture from record-warm waters off parts of the West Coast. He linked that warmth to a strong El Niño event and a marine heat wave that he attributes largely to human-caused climate change.

What happens next

More rain is forecast through the weekend, according to AP. Authorities are also assessing who else needs help, including people whose homes did not flood but were cut off by water. Hurricane officials said the full extent of the damage and any displacement of residents is still under assessment.

Neeley said San Juan County residents should expect to remain on alert for more damage and safety risks through the weekend, and that the impact on the community will be long term.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian, ABC News, NPR