Hundreds of homes were evacuated this weekend as water surged through the streets of southwestern Colorado. No deaths have been reported. Pagosa Springs and Vallecito were the hardest hit areas.
Archuleta County commissioners based in Pagosa Springs said there is widespread damage to roads, bridges, culverts, and other public infrastructure.
The heavy rain in Vallecito started late Friday. Vallecito Creek and Grimes Creek north of Vallecito Lake had unprecedented flooding, according to the La Plata County government, with over double what a significant spring runoff event will produce. Rain gauges above Vallecito Lake registered 3-5 inches of precipitation through Saturday.
La Plata County said on Saturday, emergency responders estimated that there were over 100 homes with water damage, though they were still doing damage assessments. A meeting for residents is scheduled Monday evening at the Vallecito Community Center.
As of Sunday night, the mandatory evacuation order for all Pagosa Springs residents in the downtown area had been lifted. But the police department said standing water and debris remained, and the department advised people to stay away from parks and the surrounding downtown areas along the San Juan River.
The National Weather Service said the threat is not over. Remnants of Tropical Storm Raymond are moving into the southern valleys and San Juan Mountains this morning.
A flood watch is in effect for portions of this area through Tuesday morning. Flood warnings are also in place in the San Juan River area around Pagosa Springs, and for the area north of the Vallecito Reservoir, the Weather Service said.
Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster on Sunday “to support response and recovery efforts following significant flooding in Western Colorado.” He noted several state agencies helped in the response over the weekend, including CDOT, the state health department, Colorado State Patrol and the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
