PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo. — Several communities in southwest Colorado have either issued mandatory evacuation orders or urged residents to leave as flooding is expected to surpass historic levels Sunday.
Archuleta County and South Fork town officials have issued mandatory orders. Authorities are urging residents in low-lying areas around Pagosa Springs to evacuate immediately.
Archuleta County officials said “the river is rising faster than initially anticipated and is now expected to reach a higher level than expected, potentially as early as” 6 p.m. Sunday.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the area through Monday evening with a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” rating, according to an emergency message issued Sunday. The message states that such warnings are not issued lightly and that dangerous and impactful flooding is likely.
Earlier Sunday, forecasts called for the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs to crest at 19.71 feet around 11 p.m. Sunday. During the flood of 1911, which destroyed most of what was then the town of Pagosa, the river crested at about 17.8 feet. The current forecast is nearly 2 feet above this level.
The message said anyone in an evacuation zone should leave now, including all low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers. He told people not to wait until the waters rose or another warning was received.
South Fork town officials said mandatory evacuation is in effect for:
South Fork
- South Fork of the Rio Grande from Wolf Creek Ranches on Highway 160 to the confluence, including Beaver Creek Estates.
- Rio Grande River from River Greens to the confluence of County Road 18.
Del Norte:
- Rio Grande River, from County Road 18 to Del Norte.
- City of Del Norte, from south of the Rio Grande River to 4th Street.
- Eastern city limits of Del Norte to the intersection of Highway 160 and County Road 5N.
Officials said the response to the worst of the storm would be extremely limited. Helicopters will be grounded and first responders may not be able to reach people in danger until the storm passes and conditions improve.
Teams are prepositioning resources in high-risk areas so teams can respond as quickly as conditions allow, the message said. Additional support is also provided, including:
- More ground search and rescue teams and equipment with the Colorado National Guard
- Additional aircraft and air support
- Specialized rescue teams
These resources should arrive Sunday and be ready to respond if conditions permit, according to the message.
The American Red Cross has opened evacuation shelters in several locations across southwest Colorado. They are urging residents who cannot return home to use their shelters in the following locations:
- La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Avenue, Durango
- Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse HOA Property, 230 Port Avenue, Pagosa Springs
- Knights of Columbus, 521 Spruce Street, La Jara
Members of the South Metro Fire Rescue and members of the Northern Colorado Water Rescue Teams were deployed to the area Sunday.
“If you haven’t been monitoring the weather, what’s happening is there’s even more weather today through tonight. It’s supposed to peak around midnight tonight. It’s supposed to be at levels that haven’t been seen since 1911, and it’s basically wiped out this area. So we don’t know exactly what we’re dealing with. We’ll know more once we get there,” a South Metro Fire official told team members before deploy Sunday morning.
He reminded team members that Swiftwater is absolutely the most dangerous and unpredictable thing we have out of all the disciplines we do. It was an honor to be asked to do so.”
Officials said Pagosa Springs will close its gates to call incoming traffic Sunday at 2 p.m. Traffic will be allowed to exit, but incoming traffic will not be able to enter or re-enter the area.
Traffic control points include:
Highway 160
- Highway 84
- 14th street
- Departmental road 119
- County Road 500/Apache St. to radio station
- Hurt Way/Stollsteimer Road
- Oakridge Drive
Additional traffic control points are:
- Cemetery Road (County Road 411) and Crestview Drive
- County Road 500 and Cascade
People who have medical needs, who rely on electrical medical equipment, or who feel unsafe for any reason should move to a safe location now, the message said.
The open door church is used as an evacuation shelter. The church is located at 110 Trinity Lane in Pagosa Springs.
Small animals can be taken to the Humane Society at 463 Cloman Boulevard. Large animals can be taken to the Archuleta County Fairgrounds at 344 Highway 84.
Emergency Contacts
Emergencies: 911
Evacuation assistance: 970-731-2160
County Incident Call Center: 970-508-9928 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
The latest updates can be found at Pagosa Springs website.
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