Colorado River Forecast to Breach 1911 Flood Levels

The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, was forecast to crest at 21.9 feet on Sunday night, a level that would surpass the 17.8-foot high mark set during the 1911 flood that destroyed much of the town.

By sundown on Sunday, the river had reached approximately 14 feet. Vicky Schaffer, a spokesperson for Archuleta County, confirmed the rising water levels. The county sheriff’s office described the event as a potentially catastrophic flood on social media.

Mandatory evacuation orders covered low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo, and Piedra rivers. Officials directed residents to shelters at a local church and urged them to leave immediately. The highway entering town was closed to inbound traffic. Residents were told to avoid contact with the river after sewage was discharged into it.

Katie German, owner of Bruin Coffee, reported street flooding in the downtown area. She noted that the one bridge into town was at risk of washing out. German said the town had just lifted an evacuation order from the previous week before reimposing it Saturday. She expressed concern for her employees and the supply of food and fuel for the community.

Heavy rains also forced evacuations across northern New Mexico and central Arizona. In Sedona, Arizona, officials ordered residents near Oak Creek to leave as floodwaters trapped people in their homes. Michelle Grimm, a resident, described seeing the creek rise near a pedestrian bridge and witnessing helicopter rescues from her shelter-in-place location.

Gila County ordered the total evacuation of the community of Gisela, which sits along Tonto Creek. In Tucson, swift boat rescues were conducted as flash floods swept the area. Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, stated the region was receiving two to three months of rain in a couple of days.

The storm system, fueled by Pacific weather patterns, was expected to deliver up to 4 inches of rain across the region through Monday. Flood warnings covered nearly all of Arizona, parts of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, western New Mexico, and southern Nevada.

In Flagstaff, authorities searched for a man who fell into fast-moving water. At Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, residents bagged sand to keep water out of the basement. The Pinetop-Lakeside sanitary district reported manhole covers popping up and sewage backing into homes. David McAtee, a Yavapai County spokesperson, said nearly 20 homes required emergency assistance for relocation, with no injuries or deaths reported.