San Juan River Nears Historic Crest
Pagosa Springs residents face another evacuation as the river is forecast to hit 21.9 feet, exceeding the 1911 flood level.
By Nikolai Patterson ·
The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, was forecast to reach 21.9 feet late Sunday night. This level exceeds the 17.8 foot crest recorded during the destructive 1911 flood. Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office officials labeled the event potentially catastrophic on social media.
Mandatory evacuations covered a wide swath of the Southwest on Sunday. Officials in Arizona ordered immediate departures for residents near Oak Creek in Sedona. Yavapai County and Gila County issued similar orders for areas near swollen waterways. In Gisela, a community of several hundred people, authorities ordered a total evacuation.
Vicky Schaffer, a spokesperson for the county, reported the river crest had reached about 14 feet by sundown on Sunday. Roads entering and exiting the town were closed to all traffic except evacuees. Residents not under direct orders were told to stay home and avoid contact with the river after sewage was discharged into the water.
Katie German, owner of Bruin Coffee, reported that downtown had been evacuated and street flooding was present. She expressed concern over the single bridge into town potentially washing out. This would block trucks carrying food and fuel from entering the area. The town had lifted an evacuation order from flooding just one week prior before reimposing it on Saturday night.
Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson, stated the region was receiving two to three months of rain in a couple of days. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for nearly all of Arizona, parts of southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, western New Mexico, and southern Nevada. Previous storms in the area were expected to increase runoff in Washington County and Zion National Park.
In Sedona, multiple people were trapped in their homes as floodwaters rose. Michelle Grimm, a longtime resident, observed Oak Creek rising close to the underside of a pedestrian bridge near the town center. She noted that she had never seen helicopters rescuing people from neighborhoods or entire blocks submerged in water. By Sunday afternoon, the rain in Sedona had largely subsided, but water levels were expected to peak by evening.
David McAtee, spokesperson for Yavapai County, stated that at least 100 homes were located in the evacuation zone. Nearly 20 of those homes had residents who required emergency assistance to relocate. No injuries or deaths had been reported as of Sunday afternoon. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said state air rescue crews were assisting with rooftop evacuations while transportation crews cleared debris from highways.
