NewsWPLG Local 10October 24, 2026Miami-Dade County
Severe flooding in the Four Corners region prompts rescues, evacuations, and road closures
Photo: WPLG Local 10
Emergency crews staged overnight rescues and hundreds of residents were told to evacuate as severe flooding from heavy rainfall closed roads and knocked out power across parts of Colorado and New Mexico. Authorities warned residents that rivers are expected to rise further as additional rain is forecast for the region. The flooding followed two months of heavy rains that saturated the ground, culminating in four inches of rainfall from Wednesday through Friday.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10Why It Matters
Residents in the Four Corners area face power outages, evacuation orders, and road closures affecting major routes like U.S. Highway 64 and New Mexico 371 due to rising floodwaters.
Key Facts
- Severe flooding in Colorado and New Mexico led to overnight rescues, power outages, and evacuation orders for hundreds of people.
- A total of 4 inches of rain fell from Wednesday through Friday on saturated ground, with another 1 inch possible.
- San Juan County Emergency Management staged 20 rescues in the Farmington and Shiprock area.
- About 600 homes were urged to evacuate and roughly 1,500 people lost power.
- A 2-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 64 west of Shiprock was closed due to standing water.
- A four-mile stretch of New Mexico 371 was closed because of flooding over a bridge over the San Juan River south of Farmington.
- Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe called the flooding a 'once in a generation' event.
- Flooding in southern Colorado reached levels 3 feet higher than a 100-year flood from a year ago.
- The severe weather follows two months of heavy rains that ended a summer drought and saturated the ground.
- The moisture originated from the remnants of Pacific tropical systems.
Who's Mentioned
locationFour Corners“Region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet, experiencing severe f”locationUtah“State where rain swamped dozens of homes.”locationShiprock“New Mexico area affected by rescues, evacuations, and road closures.”locationSan Juan River“River experiencing rising levels and flooding over bridges.”locationColorado“State experiencing severe flooding.”locationArizona“State affected by severe weather, tornadoes, and downed power lines.”locationNew Mexico“State experiencing severe flooding and emergency responses.”locationFarmington“New Mexico area where emergency crews staged rescues and homes were urged to eva”OrganizationSan Juan County, New Mexico, Emergency Management“Issued warnings about receding floodwaters and rising rivers.”OrganizationNew Mexico Department of Transportation“Reported road closures due to standing water.”PersonSteve Hebbe“Farmington Police Chief who described the flooding as a once-in-a-generation eve”