A second round of historic flooding impacted southwest Colorado, southeast Utah, and northwest New Mexico on Sunday, November 1, just ten days after a previous flood event in October, as Rolling Out reported. The National Weather Service in Grand Junction issued flood warnings for five Colorado counties and one in Utah, characterizing the situation as particularly dangerous. Governor Jared Polis urged immediate evacuations for residents in Archuleta County and Pagosa Springs affected by these orders.
The Piedra River near Arboles reached a new record flow of 17,800 cubic feet per second on Sunday night, according to a gauge dating back to 1963. This flow surpassed the previous record set on October 23. The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs measured 16.8 feet, with a flow of 11,200 cubic feet per second, marking its second highest stage since 1911 and its third highest flow ever recorded at that location. Only the 17.8 feet recorded in 1911 was higher. The gauge at Pagosa Springs subsequently stopped reporting, leaving the possibility of a further overnight rise unchecked. A local resident who walked downtown at 3 a.m. reported to Rolling Out that the 1st Street Bridge remained intact, Cotton Hole Park was submerged, and debris covered Hermosa Street.
Other rivers in the region also experienced high levels. The Dolores River at Dolores reached its second highest flow since 1896, while the Mancos River near Towaoc recorded its third highest flow since 1921. Early Monday, the Animas River at Durango and the Rio Grande near Del Norte were still rising. All these river figures are provisional. Looking ahead, the San Juan River is forecast to crest at Shiprock, New Mexico, Monday afternoon near 20.2 feet. Flooding along the Rio Grande and Conejos rivers is anticipated to continue through Wednesday, as rivers typically lag behind rainfall events.
The latest round of flooding led to numerous road closures. Officials reported U.S. 160 was closed from east of Bayfield to Pagosa Springs, and Colorado 41 was shut down north of the Four Corners Monument. Colorado 151 collapsed near Chimney Rock. In Utah, U.S. 191 was closed north of the Monticello airport due to a debris flow. New Mexico also saw significant closures, including U.S. 550 near Aztec, the collapse of New Mexico 173 near Turley, and New Mexico 170 washing out in two separate locations. U.S. 64 and New Mexico 17 near Chama were also closed. Residents can find road updates at cotrip.org for Colorado and nmroads.com for New Mexico. Colorado 211 can assist with shelter and evacuation needs.
These renewed floodwaters arrived as the region was still grappling with the impacts of the October flood. Colorado had requested a major disaster declaration on Saturday for Archuleta and Rio Grande counties, citing nearly $27 million in eligible public damage. As of October 29, approximately 100 homes in Archuleta County remained inaccessible. New Mexico’s governor estimated damage from the initial flood could exceed $200 million, with much of the previously affected repair work now submerged again.
The rainfall in the valleys during this second event was lighter than the first, generally between 1.5 to 3 inches. However, the ground remained saturated, and the mountain snowpack was already holding water from previous precipitation. At Wolf Creek Summit, 4.8 inches of precipitation fell, but only about 2 inches remained as snow, allowing the rest to contribute to runoff. Rain was expected to ease on Monday, with snow falling at pass elevations and drier weather predicted for Tuesday. The true peak of the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs remains unknown due to the gauge ceasing to report, and water service downtown may be impacted.
