Southwest Floods Kill at Least One and Force Hundreds to Evacuate as Rising Rivers Disrupt Election Day Voting

A storm that dropped months’ worth of rain on parts of the Southwest over the weekend left at least one person dead, forced hundreds of people to evacuate and changed voting plans in flooded counties on Election Day, officials said. Evacuations were ordered in at least a dozen counties across Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, where rivers, creeks and washes rose past major flood stage, the highest level, and some set record highs.

In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the San Juan River reached 16.81 feet on Sunday, about a foot below the level that nearly wiped out the town in 1911, the National Weather Service said. Floodwater covered downtown streets before the river began to recede on Monday. An entire home was lifted from its foundation and floated down the river before hitting a pedestrian bridge, and a section of a road bridge west of town crumbled, the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said.

Voting plans change in flooded counties

In Colorado, a voting center and ballot drop box in Pagosa Springs were moved after the flooding, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. People affected by the flooding can request an emergency ballot online or go to another voting center. In Utah, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson issued an emergency order on Monday allowing San Juan County voters who could not reasonably reach a polling place or drop box to request and return ballots electronically.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency on Monday. In New Mexico, evacuations were ordered along the San Juan River, which officials warned was still rising and could crest Tuesday through Wednesday. Officials said cleanup and repairs could take weeks.

Reporting based on coverage by the Associated Press and CNN.