NewsWPLG Local 10November 3, 2026Miami-Dade County
Heavy rains flood the Southwest, causing evacuations, road closures, and two deaths
Photo: WPLG Local 10
Heavy rainfall caused severe flooding across the Four Corners region and parts of Arizona, Utah, and Nevada on Monday, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and triggering swift-water rescues. Officials reported two deaths in Flagstaff, widespread property and road damage, and disrupted Election Day voting plans in Colorado.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10Why It Matters
Residents across multiple states face displacement, washed-out roads, closed watercraft and trails, and altered voting access due to record-breaking rainfall.
Key Facts
- One person died in Flagstaff flooding and a second death is suspected to be weather-related.
- More than 20 trillion gallons of rain fell on the Four Corners states and Nevada over a two-week period.
- The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, reached 16.81 feet late Sunday night, flooding downtown streets before receding.
- The Colorado Secretary of State's office arranged alternative voting plans for evacuated or stranded residents of Pagosa Springs.
- The Animas River in southwestern Colorado was closed to kayaks and other recreational watercraft due to sewage and chemical contamination.
- The village of Chama, New Mexico, was evacuated and cut off by road closures.
- Flagstaff totaled 5.15 inches of rain over two days, contributing to its wettest November 1 ever recorded.
- Heavy rain washed out part of Highway 160 between Flagstaff and Sedona, leaving debris and mangled guard rails.
- In Pinetop-Lakeside, manhole covers popped up and sewage backed up into homes.
- Residents near Montezuma Creek, Utah, built dirt berms to protect homes from floodwaters after receiving no prior warnings of such severe flooding.
Who's Mentioned
locationJemez River“River where campgrounds and fishing sites became inaccessible.”locationPhoenix“City near Workman Creek.”PersonWilliams Singavarapu“73-year-old man from New York who died in Flagstaff floodwaters.”PersonBynum“Associated Press journalist in Savannah, Georgia.”PersonSarah Raza“Associated Press journalist in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.”locationDurango“Colorado city where residents evacuated along the Animas River.”PersonDeanna Chiappetta“Resident of Aspen Springs subdivision outside Pagosa Springs.”locationAnimas River“River in southwestern Colorado where residents evacuated and recreational waterc”locationWorkman Creek“Wilderness area near Phoenix that recorded 7.3 inches of rain.”PersonWeber“Associated Press journalist in Los Angeles.”locationMonteuma Creek“Area in Utah near Navajo Nation.”PersonAaron Hardin“Weather service meteorologist in Tucson.”locationAspen Springs“Subdivision outside Pagosa Springs.”PersonRyan Maue“Former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist who calcu”PersonGregory Bull“Associated Press journalist in Durango, Colorado.”locationSan Juan River“River in Colorado and New Mexico that crested and caused flooding.”PersonJennifer Tate“Meteorologist with the NWS Weather Prediction Center.”PersonRyan Benally“Utah State University professor coordinating relief supplies on the Navajo Natio”locationOak Creek“Creek near Sedona.”PersonBrice Current“Durango police Chief.”PersonSavannah Peters“Associated Press journalist in Santa Fe, New Mexico.”OrganizationUtah State University“University employing Ryan Benally.”PersonKathy McCormack“Associated Press journalist in Concord, New Hampshire.”locationChama“New Mexico village evacuated and cut off by road closures.”locationPinetop-Lakeside“Central Arizona area where manhole covers popped up and sewage backed up.”locationDenver“City Chiappetta considered traveling to.”locationTucson“City where swift-water rescues were conducted.”locationPagosa Springs“Colorado town experiencing flooding and alternative voting arrangements.”locationFlagstaff“Arizona city that recorded record rainfall and two flood-related deaths.”locationSedona“Arizona city where residents near Oak Creek were ordered to evacuate.”PersonGreg Ewing“Volunteer helping clean up mud in Durango.”