Four Corners floods: San Juan River hits record, evacuations in 4 US states
Days of record rain from the remnants of Hurricane Trudy have flooded parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, forcing evacuations and rooftop rescues. More storms are forecast on saturated ground.
At a glance
- Heavy rain since Wednesday, October 21, has flooded the Four Corners region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet, with 3–7 inches (75–180 mm) falling in places.
- The San Juan River reached about 15 feet in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, more than 2 feet above last year's 100-year flood and its highest level in over a century.
- Colorado declared disaster emergencies in 11 counties; the Hopi Tribe, San Juan County (NM) and the Utah city of Hurricane also declared emergencies. Navajo Nation police rescued 30 people.
- No deaths had been reported by Sunday evening, but hundreds of people in the Farmington area remain evacuated and without power, and sewage has spilled into the San Juan River.
- A flood watch remains in place, and New Mexico's congressional delegation has asked for a federal emergency declaration.
Several days of record rain have caused severe flooding across the Four Corners region of the south-western United States, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Rivers burst their banks, people were rescued from rooftops, and evacuations were ordered in all four states. The San Juan River rose to its highest level in more than a century. On Monday, October 26, 2026, hundreds of people in north-western New Mexico were still out of their homes and without power. A flood watch remains in force because more storms are forecast over ground that is already saturated.
No deaths had been reported as of Sunday evening, local officials said.
What happened
The rain began on Wednesday, October 21. It came from the remnants of Hurricane Trudy, a Pacific storm active from October 15 to 18, which weakened into a slow-moving low-pressure system over the region. The winds died down but the rain did not. South-western Colorado and south-eastern Utah received 2–4 inches (50–100 mm), and higher ground in the San Juan Mountains got up to 6 inches (150 mm). Across the region, totals of 3–7 inches were reported over several days. The National Weather Service called the amounts records for this time of year.
| Place | What happened |
|---|---|
| Pagosa Springs, Colorado | San Juan River reached about 15.02 ft, above last October's 12.82 ft crest, which had been treated as a 100-year flood; homes inundated, river bridge closed |
| Archuleta County, Colorado | Shelter-in-place, then evacuation warning; sheriff called the damage "catastrophic" |
| Durango, Colorado | Animas River closed |
| Farmington, New Mexico | Hundreds of homes evacuated and without power; 11 helicopter hoist rescues by the New Mexico National Guard |
| Bloomfield, New Mexico | San Juan River rose about 4 ft in 30–40 minutes |
| Shiprock, Navajo Nation | Wastewater ponds damaged, sewage entered the San Juan River |
| Navajo Nation | Police rescued seven families, 30 people, from flooded homes |
| Hopi Tribe, Arizona | State of emergency over damage to roads, bridges and homes |
| Hurricane, Utah | Emergency declared; more than 100 homes and RVs damaged |
| Bluff, Utah | Evacuation order south of Highway 191 as the flood crest arrived |
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | Tornado touched down on Saturday evening |
In San Juan County, New Mexico, the sheriff's own home took about 4 feet of water. A county spokesperson called the area "a pretty active disaster zone". Rivers around Farmington were falling by Sunday, but crews were still going house to house to check for downed power lines, broken gas and propane lines and dead animals. Officials said that work could take days. Receding water left thick mud and silt, much of it contaminated with sewage after treatment plants failed.
Emergency response
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared disaster emergencies in 11 counties and sent National Guard members to help with rescues in the south-west of the state. San Juan County in New Mexico, the Hopi Tribe and the city of Hurricane in Utah declared their own emergencies. New Mexico's members of Congress have asked President Donald Trump to declare a federal emergency, which would release federal aid for clean-up and rebuilding.
Background
The Four Corners is mostly high desert and is better known for drought than floods. Late summer and early autumn bring monsoon storms, and in recent weeks Pacific tropical moisture has fuelled about two months of on-and-off heavy rain after a long dry spell. Climate scientists say record-warm sea temperatures off the West Coast, linked to a strong El Niño and a marine heatwave, have made these storms wetter than usual. Deadly flash floods already hit the Grand Canyon area in August.
Pagosa Springs flooded about a year ago as well, in October 2025, when the San Juan River crested at 12.82 feet in what officials called a 100-year flood. This year's crest was more than 2 feet higher.
Why it matters
Much of the damage is in small towns and on tribal land. Many homes there are uninsured against floods, and roads, water systems and power lines are basic and slow to repair. Sewage in the San Juan River is a health risk for communities downstream that rely on the river for farming and livestock. The flooding is also another sign that the US South-West is swinging between severe drought and extreme rain, which strains dams, reservoirs and emergency services.
What happens next
The National Weather Service has kept a flood watch over much of the region. Forecasters warn that even light rain can now send creeks over their banks, flood narrow canyons and wildfire burn scars, and close roads. The storm system is moving east, bringing rain to the central and northern Plains and then the Upper Midwest on Monday and Tuesday. Power companies say restoring electricity in the worst-hit areas could take several days. Local officials will begin counting damaged homes once floodwaters recede, and that count will support the request for federal disaster aid.
Safety advice
- Never drive or walk through floodwater; just 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock a person down.
- Treat floodwater and mud as contaminated with sewage and chemicals; wear gloves and boots when cleaning.
- Stay away from downed power lines and report any smell of gas.
- Follow county alerts before returning to evacuated neighbourhoods.
Questions people are asking
What caused the Four Corners flooding in October 2026?
The remnants of Pacific Hurricane Trudy stalled over the region as a slow-moving low-pressure system and brought several days of record rain from October 21. Forecasters say record-warm Pacific waters linked to a strong El Niño added extra moisture.
Has anyone died in the Four Corners floods?
No deaths had been reported as of Sunday evening, October 25, 2026, according to officials in San Juan County, New Mexico, and Archuleta County, Colorado, although rescuers carried out dozens of water and helicopter rescues.
Which areas are flooded in New Mexico and Colorado?
The worst-hit areas include Farmington, Bloomfield and Shiprock in San Juan County, New Mexico; Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County and Durango in Colorado; the town of Bluff and the city of Hurricane in Utah; and parts of the Navajo Nation and Hopi land in Arizona.
