Heavy precipitation Flash floods on Sunday prompted mandatory evacuations across part of the Southwest, including a Colorado tourist town bracing for its main river to reach historic levels, as weary residents of the normally arid The region is facing another massive flood.
Officials in Pagosa Springs, a southwest Colorado town of more than 2,000 in the Rocky Mountains near ski resorts and known for its hot springs, warned of potential “catastrophic flooding” as the San Juan River was expected to crest more than 20 feet (6.1 meters) Sunday evening.
“To put the forecast in perspective, during the devastating flood of 1911 that wiped out most of what existed at the time as the town of Pagosa, the San Juan River crested at approximately 17.8 feet (5.4 meters),” the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. “This is a potentially catastrophic flood. »
By sunset Sunday, the river’s crest had reached about 14 feet, according to Vicky Schaffer, a county spokeswoman. Roads in and out of the city were closed and residents who were not under evacuation orders were asked to stay home.
Meanwhile, communities across Arizona also ordered mandatory evacuations while rains forced the closure of several highways.
In the picturesque town of Sedona, Arizona, authorities ordered residents near Oak Creek to leave immediately as floodwaters trapped several people in their homes.
Arizona expects months of rain in just days
Neighboring Yavapai County and the Camp Verde community have issued evacuation orders for residents living near swollen rivers and streams.
More than 100 miles southeast of Sedona, Gila County authorities ordered total evacuation of Gisela, a small community of several hundred residents along Tonto Creek. Wet conditions even led to flash floods, river flooding and rapid boat rescues in Tucson, about 230 miles south of Sedona.
“We’re getting two or three months of rain in the span of a few days,” said Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson.
Rain fell almost non-stop Sunday in Flagstaff, Arizona, flooding local roads and overwhelming storm drains. Authorities were searching for a man who slipped and fell into fast-moving floodwaters “and was not seen resurfacing,” according to a police statement Sunday evening.
Outside Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, people filled plastic bags with sand to try to prevent further flooding inside. Luke Willson said water seeped into the garage, basement and under the church, as well as an office where the computers are located. “The pumps are working, but they’re not pumping fast enough,” he said.
To the southeast, in the Pinetop-Lakeside area of central Arizona, “manhole covers are popping up everywhere” and residents reported sewage backing up into homes due to flooding, the area’s health district said in a statement.
The latest round of torrential rains began Saturday evening and are expected to saturate the region until Monday. The weather service estimates that up to 10 centimeters of rain could fall on the region, fueled by a series of storm systems in the Pacific.
The weather service has issued flood warnings and watches for almost all of Arizona and parts of southern Utah, southwest Colorado and western New Mexico, in addition to part of southern Nevada. This includes the sparsely populated Four Corners region, where the states meet.
The Salt Lake City Weather Service office said previous storms have already flooded places like Zion and Capitol Reef national parks, warning that this could make flooding worse and that “backcountry roads will likely become impassable because of this excessive runoff.”
Highway leading to Colorado tourist town closed to all except evacuees
Pagosa Springs officials said anyone living in low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers should head to a designated shelter at a local church.
They advised residents not to wait to leave their homes because emergency crews could be extremely limited at the height of the storm. The highway entering the city was also closed to incoming traffic, and residents were advised to avoid contact with the San Juan River after sewage was dumped into it.
Katie German, owner and chef of Bruin Coffee in Pagosa Springs, said the downtown area was evacuated and streets were flooded. German said she was most concerned that the only bridge into the city would be washed away and trucks carrying everything from food to fuel would have no access.
City officials had just lifted a flood evacuation order last week only to reimpose it Saturday, with San Juan’s forecast peaking Sunday night at 21.9 feet (6.7 meters).
“I’m worried about my business, I’m worried about my employees and I’m definitely worried about everyone in this city,” German said.
Officials in La Plata County, west of Pagosa Springs, said all public roads were closed due to flooding.
Evacuations were also ordered in the nearby city of Durango, Colorado, where the Animas River was rising rapidly.
Sedona authorities rescue residents stuck in their homes
In Sedona, longtime resident Michelle Grimm worried about her community after seeing the rushing waters of Oak Creek rising dangerously near the underside of a pedestrian bridge near the center of town.
“I went out at eight o’clock this morning and I saw the bridge and I was like, ‘Oh, we’re in trouble,’” she said while sheltering at home on Sunday.
“I’ve never seen them rescue people with helicopters out of neighborhoods,” Grimm said.
Video shared by Sedona firefighters showed powerful floodwaters flooding vehicles and rushing past homes and other structures. Other videos and photos shared on social media showed people standing on a pedestrian bridge taking photos and videos as churning brown waters rushed below.
By Sunday afternoon, the torrential rains had largely subsided in the Sedona area.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said the state’s air rescue teams were assisting with rooftop evacuations and state transportation crews were helping clear debris.
No injuries or deaths have been reported so far, and nearly 20 homes housed residents who needed emergency help moving, said David McAtee, a Yavapai County spokesman.
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Marcelo reported from New York; Casey of Boston; and Weber of Los Angeles.
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