Heavy rains and severe flooding prompt evacuations and rescues across the Four Corners region

Residents in parts of Colorado and New Mexico face prolonged displacement, road closures, and utility outages following historic river surges, with disaster assistance being extended to affected counties.

• •Over 5 inches of heavy rain surged water from the Colorado mountains into the New Mexico and Arizona desert over several days.
• •Flooding affected approximately 2,000 people in and around Farmington, New Mexico, a city of 46,000 residents.
• •At least a couple hundred people required rescue, including individuals stranded on rooftops.
• •The New Mexico National Guard conducted 11 hoist operations using helicopters, hauling up to eight people to safety per flight.
• •Evacuations and power outages remained in place for hundreds of homes due to risks including downed power lines and leaking gas lines.
• •Governor Jared Polis added Conejos County in south-central Colorado to the list of places eligible for disaster help.
• •A 2-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 64 west of Shiprock was closed due to water on the roadway.
• •The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, reached levels unseen in over a century, exceeding a previous 100-year flood from a year ago by more than 2 feet.
• •U.S. Highway 550 (the Million Dollar Highway) reopened between Durango and Ouray following water damage cleanup, while other routes like U.S. 160 remained closed.
• •Officials in Colorado and New Mexico asked the public not to fly drones to inspect property and to avoid using 911 for non-emergencies.