In brief
Heavy rains last week triggered repeated flooding across the U.S. Southwest, sending people to evacuation centers and prompting numerous rescues. Official damage estimates reach $65 million in Colorado and over $200 million in New Mexico, while states have declared emergencies and requested federal aid. Recent reports confirm the situation is still deteriorating, with road closures and sewage discharges continuing into Monday.
Flooding across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico has forced emergency evacuations and spurred dozens of water rescues, officials said Monday, as weather systems battered the region.
In Flagstaff, Arizona, a man was swept into floodwaters on Sunday and found dead Monday, the public radio station KNAU reported, citing police.
Firefighters in Phoenix and neighboring Scottsdale rescued motorists trapped by floodwaters over the weekend, according to local broadcaster Arizona's Family.
Las Vegas and Henderson in Nevada experienced multiple water rescues Friday, with one person rescued in Henderson later dying at a hospital, broadcaster KTNV reported, citing a city spokesperson.
Downtown Pagosa Springs, Colorado, remained under evacuation orders Monday, its government said, after a bridge on U.S. Highway 160 was closed over erosion that threatened a museum building by the San Juan River.
A bridge owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation was closed, and the agency estimated $65 million in damage to federal‑aid roadways last week; high water has prevented full inspections of bridges and other structures.
In New Mexico, officials said damage in San Juan County and surrounding areas could exceed $200 million, and thousands of homes were damaged with hundreds of rescues between Farmington and Bloomfield.
Floodwaters also overtopped sewage lagoons in San Juan County, prompting warnings against contact with the river and lending uncertainty to the region’s still‑weakened sanitation system. The San Juan River runs from Colorado through New Mexico and Utah into Lake Powell, linking communities affected by the flooding.
Throughout the Southwest, authorities have declared emergencies or sought federal assistance in response to the flooding. A presidential emergency declaration was requested for New Mexico as of Monday.
CNN has reported that the storm is now moving into the central United States, potentially bringing the same sagging weather to new areas, though the outlet has not confirmed the extent of impacts yet.
PBS has stated heavy rains and flash flooding have prompted mandatory evacuation orders in other parts of the region, underscoring the continuing threat of flooding in already storm‑weary areas.
Rough estimates from climate data analysts say that the late‑October storms were among the most extreme in Colorado’s history, with several communities recording wettest two‑day periods in over a century.
