Floodwaters Spur Rooftop Rescues as Colorado Declares Emergency
WHO:
NPR - Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said there had been no deaths and cautioned that the situation “should not be played with.”
NPR - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis authorized National Guard members to assist with rescue efforts in southwest Colorado.
NPR - The Navajo Nation Police Department said authorities rescued seven families, totaling 30 people, from flooded homes.
NPR - The Hopi Tribe declared a state of emergency after heavy rainfall damaged infrastructure.
NPR - Kris Sanders, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, Colorado, said parts of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah received 2 to 4 inches of rain, while higher elevations in the San Juan Mountains received up to 6 inches.
NPR - Climate scientist Daniel Swain said the storms’ moisture came from record-warm waters off parts of the West Coast, associated with a strong El Niño and a preexisting marine heat wave.
ABC News - San Juan County spokesman Devin Neeley said an unknown number of people were rescued overnight and more were being rescued.
ABC News - Archuleta County Sheriff Mike Le Roux said rescuers were trying to reach two adults and three dogs stranded in a partly submerged motor home.
ABC News - Farmington spokesperson Gina Intoppa said about 600 households were told to evacuate.
ABC News - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency covering 11 counties.
ABC News - National Weather Service meteorologist Kate Abbott said the region was saturated and vulnerable to more flooding.
FOX Weather - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis verbally declared a state of emergency in response to southwestern Colorado flooding.
FOX Weather - Fire officials said one person injured in storms near Heber, Arizona, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
WHAT:
NPR - Floodwaters forced sewage into the San Juan River.
NPR - More than 100 homes and RVs were damaged in Hurricane, Utah.
NPR - The Hopi Tribe reported rainfall damage to roads, bridges, homes and other infrastructure.
NPR - The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office changed its guidance from shelter-in-place advice to an evacuation warning.
ABC News - San Juan County spokesman Devin Neeley said the sheriff was close to losing his own home amid the flooding.
ABC News - In nearby Rio Grande County, campground trailers were surrounded by high water, and trucks were partially submerged.
FOX Weather - At least 130 homes and RVs were damaged in Hurricane, Utah.
FOX Weather - Residents near Gould Wash were ordered to evacuate immediately.
FOX Weather - The Town of Pagosa Springs declared a local state of emergency due to flooding.
FOX Weather - Four people were rescued by helicopter from a pickup-truck roof near Rimrock, Arizona.
FOX Weather - Central New Mexico faced a Level 2 of 5 severe-weather threat, with large, damaging hail the primary concern and a few tornadoes possible.
FOX Weather - Arizona had a Tornado Watch on Wednesday for the first time since October 2010.
FOX Weather - The Town of Pagosa Springs, near the New Mexico border, declared a local state of emergency due to flooding.
ABC News - Severe flooding prompted rooftop and other water rescues, evacuation orders, shelter-in-place advice and road closures; floodwaters continued rising despite clearing skies.
ABC News - Neeley said rescuers were “picking people off of roofs” and pulling people from houses with 3 or 4 feet (1–1.5 meters) of water.
ABC News - Le Roux reported widespread, unprecedented damage to state, county and private infrastructure. He knew of no deaths or serious injuries as of midday.
ABC News - In Hurricane, Utah, floodwater reached around 80 homes and 50 recreational vehicles; a shipping container drifted down a street.
FOX Weather - South Fork, Colorado, remained under mandatory evacuations after the Rio Grande and local creeks overtopped their banks.
FOX Weather - Hurricane, Utah, officials said at least 130 homes and RVs were damaged; residents near Gould Wash were ordered to evacuate.
FOX Weather - Four people were rescued by helicopter from a pickup-truck roof near Rimrock, Arizona.
FOX Weather - Flagstaff recorded a 72-mph wind gust. A suspected tornado struck Heber, Arizona, and damage was to be surveyed.
FOX Weather - Moenkopi Wash near Tuba City reached 32.48 feet, exceeding its 29.79-foot record.
FOX Weather - Southern New Mexico faced a Level 2 of 5 severe-weather threat, with damaging winds and possible tornadoes; a Level 2 of 4 flash-flood risk covered parts of southern New Mexico and West Texas.
WHERE:
ABC News - Flooding affected the Four Corners region, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona; Farmington is the Four Corners’ largest city.
ABC News - Southern Colorado flooding on the San Juan River was 3 feet (1 meter) higher than a 100-year flood there the previous year.
FOX Weather - Severe-weather and flash-flood threats covered New Mexico, West Texas and parts of the Four Corners; Albuquerque and Santa Fe were within a broader Level 1 flash-flood risk.
FOX Weather - Pagosa Springs, Colorado, declared a local state of emergency.
WHEN:
ABC News - Flood rescues and evacuation activity continued Friday; authorities reported conditions as of midday.
FOX Weather - Severe storms developed Wednesday and continued through Thursday; another round was forecast for Friday afternoon, with flood threats lasting into Saturday morning.
FOX Weather - Arizona had tornado watches on Wednesday and Thursday; New Mexico’s watch was its first since 1998.
WHY:
NPR - Kris Sanders said remnants of Hurricane Trudy, active in the Pacific Ocean from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18, formed a slow-moving low-pressure system that moved southwest.
NPR - Daniel Swain said the region’s mountainous terrain contributes to flooding; he also said the storms’ moisture was linked to a strong El Niño and a marine heat wave.
ABC News - Kate Abbott said two months of heavy rain had ended a summer of drought; rocky areas with little vegetation are naturally prone to flash flooding, and recent rains increased flood risk across the region.
ABC News - Abbott said repeated heavy rainfall had saturated the ground; the region had experienced a third or fourth round of similar moisture in as many weeks.
FOX Weather - An upper-level low shifting east into New Mexico was expected to move storms away from Arizona and Utah.
HOW:
FOX Weather - A powerful storm system drew warm, moist Pacific air into Arizona, fueling severe thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding.
ABC News - New Mexico Guard used boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles for rescues; rescuers also used a state helicopter in Colorado.
FOX Weather - Rainfall rates in the flash-flood threat area could exceed 2 to 3 inches per hour.
(UPDATED October 24, 2026 07:10 UTC)
Severe flooding across the Four Corners has prompted evacuations and urgent rescues, with floodwaters still rising in some communities despite clearing skies. In southwest Colorado, Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency covering 11 counties and authorized National Guard support. Rescuers used boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles, while authorities said they had no reports of deaths or serious injuries as of midday. In Farmington, about 600 households were told to evacuate, and floodwater forced sewage into the San Juan River. At least 130 homes and recreational vehicles were damaged in Hurricane, Utah, while the Hopi Tribe declared an emergency after rain damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Rainfall reached 2 to 4 inches in parts of the region and up to 6 inches in higher elevations. Saturated ground and rocky terrain heightened the danger, and more storms threatened additional flooding into Saturday morning.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 00:10 UTC)
Severe flooding across the Four Corners region has prompted rescues, evacuations and emergency declarations, even as floodwaters continue rising under clearing skies. In southwestern Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency covering 11 counties, and Pagosa Springs declared a local emergency. Rescuers pulled people from rooftops and homes with several feet of water; officials said an unknown number were rescued, while crews tried to reach two adults and three dogs stranded in a partly submerged motor home. About 600 households near Farmington were told to evacuate, and South Fork remained under mandatory evacuation orders. Flooding also damaged at least 130 homes and recreational vehicles in Hurricane, Utah, while four people were airlifted from a pickup truck near Rimrock, Arizona. Officials reported widespread infrastructure damage but knew of no deaths or serious injuries as of midday.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 20:11 UTC)
Severe flooding across the Four Corners region has triggered rescues, evacuations and road closures, with water still rising despite clearing skies. In New Mexico, rescuers used boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles to pull people from rooftops and homes, while about 600 households in Farmington were told to evacuate. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency covering 11 counties; South Fork remained under mandatory evacuation orders. Near the San Juan River, floodwaters rose three feet above the level of a 100-year flood recorded there last year. In Utah, flooding damaged at least 130 homes and recreational vehicles, and residents near Gould Wash were ordered to leave. Arizona crews rescued four people by helicopter from a pickup truck roof near Rimrock. Repeated heavy rain has saturated the region, leaving it vulnerable to more flooding as additional storms threaten.