Southwest Flooding Forces Evacuations, Disrupts Election Day Voting

Floodwaters have swamped parts of the Southwest, leading to mandatory evacuations and disrupting Election Day voting plans in some communities. Heavy rainfall over the weekend caused flash flooding and river surges across New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.

In Colorado, residents along the Animas River in La Plata County faced evacuations as widespread flooding closed county roads and damaged bridges. Officials warned of potentially catastrophic flooding in Pagosa Springs, Archuleta County, where the San Juan River neared historic crests. The flooding prompted the Colorado Secretary of State's office to arrange alternative voting plans for affected residents. Those impacted can vote at any center statewide and return their mail ballot to any drop box or voter center. Voting centers remain open in La Plata County, though some county offices will have special hours.

Further downstream in New Mexico, the San Juan River continued to rise, prompting new evacuations in San Juan County, including some Navajo communities. In Rio Arriba County, evacuations were ordered due to the rising Rio Chama, which remains under a flood warning. Campgrounds and fishing sites along the Jemez River have become inaccessible.

In Arizona, Sedona officials ordered evacuations for residents near Oak Creek as floodwaters trapped people in their homes. Yavapai County and the community of Camp Verde also issued evacuation orders for residents near swollen rivers and creeks. In Gila County, a total evacuation was ordered for Gisela, a community along Tonto Creek.

Tucson experienced flash floods and river flooding, with rescuers conducting swiftboat operations. In Flagstaff, persistent rain flooded local roads and overwhelmed storm drains, and authorities were searching for a man who fell into fast-moving floodwaters. In the Pinetop-Lakeside area, flooding caused sewage backups into homes.

Meteorologists noted that while much of the heavy rain was winding down Monday, up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain had fallen across the region, fueled by Pacific storm systems. The National Weather Service forecasts drier conditions for the coming days.