Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency late Thursday in response to heavy rain and flooding that forced residents to evacuate, closed highways and damaged roads and bridges in some southern Colorado counties.
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The declaration allows the state to use the Colorado National Guard to assist in flood response, including evacuations and any search and rescue efforts, in La Plata, Archuleta, Montezuma, Dolores, Hinsdale, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Mineral, Alamosa and Rio Grande counties.
Pagosa Springs and South Fork area residents were ordered to evacuate the following areas:
- The South Fork area from Wolf Creek Tunnel on Colorado 160 to the Fun Valley Resort
- Along the South Fork Rio Grande from County Road 20 to the confluence of the Rio Grande to the Shaw Creek rest area
- Low-lying and flood-prone areas in the Pagosa Springs area along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers
In the Pagosa Springs area, major flooding has damaged roads, bridges and culverts, the town said in an announcement. Flooding also forced schools to close Friday, the Archuleta School District said.
The San Juan River measured just over 15 feet high near Pagosa Springs at 5:30 a.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. That’s about 10 feet higher than the river’s levels before flooding began Thursday afternoon and just two feet below the record of 17.8 feet, according to NOAA. In October 2025, the river peaked at nearly 13 feet when heavy rains caused flooding that forced evacuations and damaged more than 100 homes in neighboring La Plata County.
While water levels were starting to recede Friday morning, many roads in the area remain impassable or unsafe, and people in the area should shelter in place, the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said.
The South Fork Rio Grande, a tributary of the Rio Grande, peaked at about 9 feet at 1:45 a.m., according to NOAA.
An outdoor shelter at nearby Rickel Park appeared to be partially submerged in floodwaters as rain continued to fall at 1:09 a.m. in a video posted to the South Fork Fire Rescue Facebook page. Flooding in the area also caused a bridge to fail, the agency said.
“Although the river has crested, dangerous conditions remain. Floodwaters may still be present, roads may be damaged, riverbanks may be unstable, and other hazards may exist,” the agency wrote in a morning update.
A National Weather Service flood watch remains in place through Friday evening for parts of southwest Colorado, including Ridgway, Telluride, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Silverton, Rico, Cortez, Mancos, Dolores and Durango. A flood watch is also in effect for parts of southeast Utah, including Canyonlands National Park.
Several roads remain closed in the area because of flooding, including:
- Colorado 17 is closed from just east of U.S. 285 to the New Mexico border.
- Colorado 160 is closed between Forest Service Road 667, 11 miles east of the Pagosa Springs area, and County Road 20, near South Fork. CDOT expects the road to be closed for an extended period of time.
- Colorado 160 is also closed between Deer Trail and Hersch Avenue.
- Colorado 151 is closed between Forest Service Road 613 and U.S. 160.
- U.S. 550, also dubbed the Million Dollar Highway in that area, is closed between South Mineral and County Road 31.
Part of the Million Dollar Highway appeared to have been damaged in the flood, according to the state patrol. Chunks of pavement appeared to have fallen away, and water poured from the flooded roadway down a slope where the edge of the road once was in a photo the agency shared.
Drivers should avoid traveling during flood warnings or flood watches, and should never drive through flooded areas, the Colorado State Patrol said.
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This is a developing story and may be updated.
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