Severe flooding in US West prompts rooftop rescues and evacuations

Severe flooding in the Four Corners region of the western United States, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet, led to water rescues on Friday, 23 October, some of them from rooftops. Roads have become impassable, and some residents of low-lying parts of Colorado and New Mexico were ordered to leave, while others were told to stay put until the water recedes.

Rescues in New Mexico

Devin Neeley, a spokesperson for San Juan County, said people were rescued overnight and again on Friday by New Mexico National Guard boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles. The number of people rescued is unknown. According to him, some homes have 1 to 1.5 metres of water inside, and more is on the way. Skies are clearing, but rivers keep rising and have passed their forecast crests.

In Farmington, the largest city in the Four Corners area, about 600 households were told to evacuate, and areas along the San Juan River were closed off. City spokesperson Gina Intoppa said all available personnel were involved.

Colorado and Utah

National Guard members are also helping in south-west Colorado. Mandatory evacuations were issued along four rivers, including the San Juan River through Pagosa Springs, a resort town known for its riverside hot springs that was hit by flooding from a similar weather pattern a year ago. The Archuleta County sheriff's office urged people to shelter in place, saying water levels were beginning to fall. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency in 11 counties.

The city of Hurricane in far south-western Utah, which declared a state of emergency on Thursday, is cleaning up after floodwater reached about 80 homes and 50 recreational vehicles in an RV park.

Why the risk has grown

Kate Abbott, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, Colorado, explained that two months of heavy rain, which ended a summer of drought, have made flooding more likely everywhere. In her words, the ground is saturated, and the region has seen this kind of moisture for the third or fourth time in as many weeks. Earlier this week, tornadoes in Arizona blew off roofs and downed power lines, and at least one person was injured.