San Juan River Hits 15 Feet, Stranding Residents in Archuleta County

The San Juan River in Pagosa Springs surged from 5 feet to more than 15 feet by the morning of Oct. 23, marking the highest crest recorded in the river's 115-year history. This sudden rise followed a surge of moisture from a Pacific tropical storm and the remnants of Hurricane Trudy, which pushed heavy rain across southern Colorado and parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.

Warren Brown, chair of the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners, stated during a Tuesday night community meeting that the flood damaged more than 800 structures. His estimate includes roughly 540 homes. Brown noted that recovery efforts will likely span several years, with approximately 150 of the county's 595 miles of roadway currently impassable.

Archuleta County Sheriff Mike Le Roux described the event as catastrophic and unprecedented. He told the crowd that the county has never witnessed an act of nature of this scale. Steve Peck, an operations chief with the Colorado Incident Management Team, confirmed that at least 38 people had been rescued in Archuleta County alone. He explained that residents were trapped on isolated landmasses between flooded roads, forcing rescue teams to navigate narrow passages to extract them.

By Thursday, the Colorado National Guard had assisted in rescuing an estimated 50 stranded individuals and 20 pets. Peck reported that no injuries or deaths had been recorded as a result of the flooding. In Pagosa Springs, Town Manager David Harris and Mayor Shari Pierce declared a local disaster emergency on Thursday. The declaration cited extensive damage to roads, bridges, culverts, and other public infrastructure.

Harris acknowledged that the community had faced a 100-year flood event the previous October. He emphasized that staff and neighbors had united to address the damage. In neighboring Rio Grande and Mineral counties, damage assessment teams surveyed more than 1,300 homes and businesses in Monte Vista, Del Norte, and South Fork. The South Fork of the Rio Grande rose more than 6 feet in 36 hours, peaking at roughly 9 feet early Friday morning.

State officials estimate the flood caused roughly $65 million in damages to three main highways: U.S. 160, U.S. 550, and Colorado 151. The Colorado Department of Transportation requested federal assistance on Wednesday to begin emergency repairs. Officials aim to make the highways travel-ready before winter, with permanent repairs expected to continue through the spring. Julie Constan, the CDOT Southwest Transportation Director, stated that the agency is prepared for a long recovery process.