Colorado flood leaves hundreds of homes damaged across 12 counties

State officials estimated on Tuesday that hundreds of homes across southwestern Colorado sustained damage after severe flooding swept through the region last week. Governor Jared Polis issued a disaster emergency declaration covering 12 counties, activating the Colorado National Guard to assist with evacuations and search and rescue efforts. The declaration includes Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Rio Grande, San Juan, and San Miguel counties.

The storm, fueled by tropical moisture from the Pacific, dropped more than 5 inches of rain on the San Juan Mountains. In Pagosa Springs, the San Juan River rose from 5 feet to more than 15 feet, marking its highest crest in 115 years. Town leaders noted this level exceeded last year’s 100-year flood. The National Weather Service initially forecast flows of about 3,000 cubic feet per second, but by Thursday night, the forecast flow had more than doubled, catching first responders off guard.

South Fork Fire Rescue Captain Tyler Schmidt said the department was confident in its ability to mitigate the initial forecast because sandbags from the previous year’s flood were already in place. However, when the Park Creek Bridge failed on Thursday night, sending a large debris flow down the river, officials issued the first mandatory evacuations. At least two other nearby bridges and several local roads were also damaged. District Ranger Patrick Moran noted that rescue efforts are currently pulling resources away from local damage assessments in Rio Grande County.

As of Tuesday morning, the National Guard had helped rescue 33 stranded residents and more than a dozen pets, primarily in Archuleta County, according to Staff Sgt. Patrick Crosley. Most counties have shifted to recovery mode to assess damage. In Rio Grande County, Sheriff Mike Le Roux acknowledged that the community is still recovering from the Rio Blanco Fire, which occurred 12 weeks prior. He described the community as resilient despite the consecutive major incidents.

Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for residents in the Upper River Greens subdivision along the Rio Grande River, the town of Guadalupe in Conejos County, and low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo, and Piedra rivers in Archuleta County. The Colorado Department of Transportation reports that Colorado 151 remains closed in both directions between Forest Service Road 613 and U.S. 160 due to washed-out highway sections. U.S. 160 reopened to traffic Tuesday afternoon, though drivers face single-lane alternating traffic at multiple repair sites.

Snow on the ground and more in the forecast may obscure full forest damage until spring, according to Moran. No injuries or fatalities have been reported in Mineral or Rio Grande counties. South Fork Incident Management Team Commander Doug Fritz told residents at a Monday night community meeting that repairs will take a while. He stated that the situation is not going to be fixed immediately.

Video from Fun Family Valley Resort, located about 5 miles outside of South Fork, showed tipped recreational vehicles, flooded campgrounds, and cabins partially submerged in the Rio Grande River. Local roads and state highways remain closed, and several bridges have been washed away. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control provided the estimate of hundreds of impacted homes on Tuesday.