Four Corners Floods: El Niño Drives Record Rainfall Across Southwest

Heavy rainfall continues to test infrastructure across the American Southwest as flood risks remain high.

The National Weather Service warned that isolated cloudbursts could still occur in the Four Corners region, where the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah intersect. This weather pattern is fueled by El Niño, a phenomenon involving warming Pacific waters that disrupts typical seasonal norms. Former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue calculated that more than 20 trillion gallons of rain have fallen on these states and Nevada in just the last two weeks.

In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a community of roughly 2,000 residents, the San Juan River crested at 16.81 feet late Sunday. This level is close to the 17.8-foot peak recorded during the town's devastating 1911 flood. The surge flooded downtown streets and lifted an entire home from its foundation before it crashed into a pedestrian bridge. Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Vicki Shaffer reported that a section of a road bridge west of town buckled under the force of the water. First responders conducted several swift-water rescues on Monday, including one helicopter operation, while searching for residents who may still be stranded.

Evacuation orders in Pagosa Springs were lifted recently after a previous round of flooding, only to be reimposed on Saturday. The county has not yet provided a total number of residents under these orders. The Colorado Department of Transportation is currently assessing the safety of closed bridges and roadways to determine when traffic can resume. The Secretary of State’s office arranged alternative voting plans for displaced residents to ensure they can participate in upcoming elections despite their displacement.

Flooding extended to New Mexico and southern Colorado, where the San Juan River continues to rise. Officials expect the river to crest between Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting evacuations in the village of Chama, which is now cut off by road closures. In Durango, police Chief Brice Current noted that many residents who attempted to stay in their homes are still stranded. Willow Bradner, a resident whose home was surrounded by two feet of mud, described the rapid shift from feeling safe to packing a go-bag within 45 minutes. About 200 community members used shovels and skid steers on Monday to clear mud from their neighborhood.

Arizona experienced record rainfall, with Workman Creek near Phoenix receiving 7.3 inches of rain over two days. Flagstaff recorded 5.15 inches, contributing to its wettest November first on record. Meteorologist Jennifer Tate of the NWS Weather Prediction Center noted that the system was broad rather than localized. Two deaths were reported in Flagstaff, including a 73-year-old man found in a drainage tunnel. In Tucson, meteorologist Aaron Hardin stated that the region received two or three months of rain in just a couple of days.

In southern Utah, Ryan Benally, a Utah State University professor, built dirt berms to protect his parents' home near Montezuma Creek. While the barriers held, parts of their cattle ranch were submerged. Benally coordinated the delivery of water and supplies to shelters, noting that access routes for remote residents had washed out. He observed that the repeated storms were compounding in ways that local residents were not prepared for.