⏱️
🍂 Weather & seasons › Four Corners flooding (Oct 2026)
Four Corners flooding (Oct 2026)
By The Trends Incoming team
Flash flooding hit Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico on Oct 22 and 23, 2026, with mandatory evacuations in Pagosa Springs, helicopter rescues in Arizona and major highway closures. Where it hit, what's closed and where to get official alerts.
What's trending in Four Corners flooding (Oct 2026)
Flash floods hit the Four Corners
Mandatory evacuations in Pagosa Springs, helicopter rescues in Arizona and closed mountain passes in Colorado. The San Juan River crested just over 15 feet, and more rain is possible this weekend.
East Coast storm watch
A storm-force low is sitting a few hundred miles off the Southeast coast, and the National Hurricane Center says high winds, coastal flooding and dangerous surf are expected along parts of the East Coast over the next few days. It has a 40% chance of turning subtropical this week as it pulls away.
Storm Adam floods eastern Spain
At least six people have died and more than 2,000 were evacuated as Storm Adam flooded parts of Valencia and Alicante. Rescue teams are still searching marshland near Pego and Oliva.
The quick version
Flash flooding swept across the Four Corners on October 22 and 23, 2026. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the San Juan River peaked just over 15 feet around 5:30 a.m. Friday and then began to fall, the Pagosa Springs Sun reports, but mandatory evacuations stayed in place for flood-prone areas. Arizona saw helicopter rescues, southern Utah is cleaning up, and forecasters warn more rain could fall this weekend.
| When | Wed Oct 22 to Fri Oct 23, 2026 |
|---|---|
| States hit | Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico |
| San Juan River crest | Just over 15 ft at the Pagosa Springs gauge, about 5:30 a.m. Fri |
| Evacuations | Mandatory, low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers |
| Schools | Archuleta School District closed Fri Oct 23 |
| Major closures | US 160 Wolf Creek Pass, US 550 Red Mountain Pass, CO 17, CO 151 (CDOT, Oct 23 8 a.m.) |
| Utah | About 80 homes affected in Hurricane (NBC News) |
| Arizona | 4 people rescued by helicopter south of Sedona (NBC News) |
| Alerts | Archuleta County Nixle: text 81147 to 888777 |
Colorado
The Town of Pagosa Springs says floodwaters may contain untreated sewage after three wastewater lift stations and one pump station were inundated, so stay out of the water. Hot Springs Boulevard is closed at the bridge, and Town Hall, the Community Center and the Visitor Center are closed through the weekend. The Colorado Department of Transportation is urging drivers to avoid travel in the flood watch areas and never to drive around closure gates. Check COtrip.org before you go anywhere.
Utah, Arizona and New Mexico
In Hurricane, Utah, a shipping container drifted down a street before the cleanup began, AP reports, and flood watches shifted to southeast Utah into the weekend. In Arizona, four people were lifted off the roof of a vehicle by helicopter south of Sedona, NBC News reported, and northern New Mexico saw evacuations and roof rescues.
Stay safe
- Turn around, don't drown. Just a little moving water can sweep a car away.
- Sign up for local alerts (Nixle, your county's emergency page) and follow evacuation orders.
- Stay away from riverbanks even as water drops, because the ground is saturated.
Keep reading
- Our explainer: why the Southwest is flooding in October
- Fall 2026 weather watch
- Santa Ana fire watch
- Today's news buzz
Follow the conversation
Quick answers
Where is the flooding in the Four Corners?
Southwest and south-central Colorado (including Pagosa Springs), southern Utah, northern Arizona and northern New Mexico, on October 22 and 23, 2026.
How high did the San Juan River get in Pagosa Springs?
It peaked just over 15 feet at the Pagosa Springs gauge around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, October 23, then started to recede, per the Pagosa Springs Sun.
Is Wolf Creek Pass open?
CDOT listed US 160 over Wolf Creek Pass as closed as of 8 a.m. on October 23. Check COtrip.org for the latest.
Will it rain more in the Four Corners this weekend?
Forecasters say more heavy rain is possible this weekend, and flood watches were in effect in southeast Utah, per AP.
How do I get flood alerts in Archuleta County?
Text 81147 to 888777 to sign up for Nixle alerts, the county's main emergency channel.