Four Corners flooding forces rooftop rescues as rivers hit record stages

Severe flooding swept the Four Corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona on Friday after days of storms, forcing rooftop water rescues, mandatory evacuations and widespread road closures.

The Associated Press reported that crews carried out rooftop water rescues, with low-lying areas of Colorado and New Mexico ordered to evacuate and others told to shelter in place until water levels drop (https://americagist.com/severe-flooding-in-the-four-corners-region-triggers-rooftop-rescues-and-evacuation-orders/).

In New Mexico, the San Juan River at Farmington reached 13.2 feet at 10 a.m. Mountain time on Friday — 4.7 feet above its 8.5-foot flood stage — with the National Weather Service projecting a 14-foot crest and extending flood warnings for the San Juan and Animas rivers. About 600 Farmington households were ordered out, and Guard crews used boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles to reach stranded residents; one helicopter was trying to reach two adults and three dogs in a partially submerged motor home. No deaths or serious injuries were known (https://www.theamericanquorum.com/san-juan-river-four-corners-flood-rescues-evacuations/).

In southern Colorado, flooding from Thursday night triggered a disaster emergency in Pagosa Springs, mandatory evacuations along four rivers and the closure of all Archuleta School District schools, while Governor Jared Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency for the southwest (https://www.cpr.org/2026/10/22/southwestern-colorado-flooding-evacuations-road-closures/).

In Utah, flash flooding in Hurricane damaged at least 130 homes and RVs and forced evacuations near Gould Wash, while four people were helicopter-rescued from the roof of a pickup near Rimrock, Arizona. Arizona’s tornado watch was its first since October 2010, and New Mexico’s its first since 1998 (https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/severe-storm-flood-new-mexico-arizona-utah-colorado).