Flooding hits US Southwest as Colorado evacuates and Arizona rescues residents

A powerful storm caused flooding across several states in the US Southwest. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the San Juan River rose to its second-highest level since 1911, about 1,000 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders, and rescuers in Arizona pulled people from rooftops.

A powerful autumn storm caused flooding across several states in the US Southwest, including Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. For a region with an usually arid climate, this is the second major flood in roughly a week.

In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the San Juan River reached 16.8 feet (about 5.1 meters) on the evening of November 1. It was the second-highest level in the history of recorded observations, after the 1911 flood that swept away much of the town. About 1,000 homes in Archuleta County are under mandatory evacuation orders, and access to the town has been closed. Authorities warned that bridges in the town center, damaged a week earlier, might not withstand the flooding.

Flood warning map for Arizona's Santa Cruz River

In Arizona, Oak Creek in Sedona rose to historic levels. According to Governor Katie Hobbs' office, helicopter crews from the Department of Public Safety evacuated residents from the roofs of their homes. In the Tucson area, 12 water rescues were carried out on Sunday, with no injuries reported. In Flagstaff, rescuers searched for a man who was swept away by the current.

In New Mexico, the Rio Chama overflowed in the city of Chama, where evacuations are also under way and US 64 has been closed. According to the US National Weather Service, river flooding in the central and western parts of the state will continue through Tuesday.