Southwest Colorado Flooding: Rescues and Prep Lessons
Quick take: Heavy rain on Oct. 22 and 23 sent rivers in southwest Colorado over their banks, washing out roads and bridges and forcing evacuations around Pagosa Springs, South Fork, Del Norte and the Conejos River valley. Gov. Jared Polis issued a verbal disaster emergency declaration, and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) lists 12 impacted counties. The Colorado National Guard and the Colorado Search and Rescue Association have been helping local sheriffs, with 33 people and more than 15 pets rescued as of 3 p.m. Oct. 26. Here's what happened, how neighbors and responders stepped up, and what any household can learn from it.
What happened in the southwest Colorado flooding
According to the state's Oct. 27 SEOC update, the flood incident began Oct. 23. Governor Polis made a verbal disaster emergency declaration at 8:36 p.m. that day (a Colorado National Guard release dates the emergency declaration to Oct. 22). The declaration starts the State Emergency Operations Plan and lets the Colorado National Guard support flood and debris-flow response, evacuations and search and rescue.
The Denver Gazette's OutThere Colorado, citing KDVR, reported more than five inches of rain in the Pagosa Springs area between Oct. 22 and 23, and more than four inches in South Fork and Del Norte.
The 12 counties listed as impacted
DHSEM lists La Plata, Archuleta, Montezuma, Dolores, Hinsdale, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Mineral, Alamosa, Conejos and Rio Grande counties. Archuleta County, the City of Pagosa Springs, La Plata County and Conejos County have local disaster declarations, among others.
Roads, evacuations and drinking water
Roads: As of 8 a.m. Oct. 27, CDOT had full closures on US 160 over Wolf Creek Pass, CO 151 near Chimney Rock and a stretch of US 160 near Four Corners. The Colorado Sun photographed a collapsed section of Colorado 151 between Pagosa Springs and Ignacio. Check COtrip.org before any travel in the region.
Evacuations: Some areas near South Fork remain under mandatory evacuation, while orders have been lifted for several subdivisions. Conejos County ordered a mandatory evacuation of Manassa, per the same SEOC update.
Water: A boil water order covers private wells throughout Rio Grande County and wells along the South Fork of the Rio Grande in Mineral County. The Town of South Fork's municipal system tested with no known concerns.
What's confirmed and what isn't
Confirmed (official sources): the verbal disaster declaration, 12 impacted counties, Guard and search and rescue support, 33 people and 15+ pets rescued as of 3 p.m. Oct. 26, and the supplies and shelter details below. Not yet known: a full damage total, how many homes were destroyed, or when Wolf Creek Pass will fully reopen. Damage assessments were just beginning as of Oct. 27. Rescue counts also differ by source and by date: the Colorado Sun reports Guard aviation crews alone had rescued 28 people, nine dogs and two cats in 14 missions as of Tuesday morning, Oct. 27. We'll stick to what officials have published.
The rescues: helicopters, rafts and a lot of neighbors
This is the part of the story worth sharing. DHSEM says roughly 20 Guard members make up Task Force Aviation, flying a hoist-equipped UH-60 Black Hawk and a LUH-72 Lakota out of Pagosa Springs. Nearly 80 more personnel and 30 tactical vehicles form a ground search and rescue task force.
A couple, three dogs and two cats in an overturned RV
The rescue that got the most attention happened near Pagosa Springs. 9News reported that two people and five pets were hoisted from an overturned RV surrounded by two deep channels of floodwater, too dangerous for rope or swift-water teams. The helicopter crew included Army National Guard members, an Air Force crew chief and a Coast Guard pilot, with help from Mountain Rescue Aspen and Vail Mountain Rescue Group. It took eight to 10 hoists to bring everyone out, one at a time.
The Colorado Sun told the couple's full story. Hank and Stacey Wills had sandbagged their home on the Rio Blanco and were evacuating in their RV when the engine stalled in floodwater around 10:30 p.m. The tow truck couldn't reach them because a bridge was closed. By early morning the river had carried the RV downstream and tipped it onto its side. A deputy spotted them flashing an SOS signal, a county drone flew in a line so crews could talk to them, and a Black Hawk later hoisted every person and pet to safety. One detail stood out: Stacey's bag of clothes stayed dry, so they could change into warm, dry clothes while they waited.
Their advice to everyone else? Know what you can take and what you can't, have go-bags packed ahead of time, and "when the responders say go, it's time to leave."
Community help on the ground
The response has gone far beyond helicopters. Per DHSEM:
Shelters and food: Conejos County Human Services runs the Conejos shelter, and The Salvation Army is serving mobile meals at the Rio Grande shelter for shelter occupants, first responders and displaced residents.
211 Colorado: Navigators worked through the weekend handling Airbnb emergency lodging vouchers. The program offers up to 28 free nights for primary residents under mandatory evacuation and for deployed first responders. Dial 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 898-211.
Supplies: The state sent bottled water, sandbags and 400 water well test kits. The American Red Cross delivered hundreds of flood cleanup kits, with hundreds more from partners.
Cleanup help: Residents can call the Crisis Cleanup hotline at 970-283-7325 to ask for free volunteer help (not guaranteed, given the need).
Comfort: HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response dogs were requested to support teams in Archuleta County.
Local officials in the Rio Grande and Mineral area have said they don't currently need donations or volunteers, so check official pages before you show up or send anything.
What this means for your preps
You don't have to live in the San Juan Mountains for this to matter. Ready.gov calls floods the most common disaster in the United States, and flash floods can come without warning. Here's what to take from southwest Colorado.
Know your flash flood and debris-flow risk
Mountain valleys, canyons and areas below recent wildfire burn scars can flood fast. Ready.gov's landslide and debris flow page notes that a burned slope raises the chance of landslides for several years, and that evacuation is often the only way to protect lives from a fast-moving debris flow. Sign up for your county's emergency alerts (La Plata County residents can use ReadyLaPlata.org) and take flood watches seriously, even if last year's storm turned out OK. The Willses told reporters they expected this flood to be milder than 2025's. It wasn't.
Turn Around, Don't Drown
The National Weather Service says more than half of flood-related drownings happen when a vehicle is driven into floodwater. Just 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, 12 inches can carry away most cars, and 2 feet can sweep away SUVs and trucks. The road under the water may already be gone. Never drive around a barricade.
Keep an evacuation go-bag where you can grab it
The South Fork Fire update in the SEOC report recommends a ready-to-go bag that everyone in the house knows about, with:
Prescription medications
Phone chargers and power banks
Copies of important documents
Warm clothing, blankets and sturdy footwear
Hygiene and comfort items
Supplies for pets
Flood evacuations are wet and often dark. A fully waterproof pack like the Rothco Waveguard Waterproof Backpack keeps spare clothes and papers dry, just like Stacey Wills' bag did. A Rothco Cree LED Headlamp keeps your hands free for loading the car or carrying a pet, and a Rothco G.I. Type Rip-Stop Poncho fits over you and your pack. For more ideas, see our car emergency kit checklist and first aid kit checklist.
Plan for your pets
Rescuers in Colorado hoisted dogs and cats along with their people. Ready.gov's pet page recommends including your pets in your emergency plan and building them their own kit. In Archuleta County, small animals went to the Humane Society and large animals to the county fairgrounds, so look up where your county sends animals during evacuations. Cat owners can start with our Catastrophe Commander Deluxe Cat Survival Kit, and our pet emergency kit checklist covers dogs and cats.
Test your private well after a flood
If you're on a well, floodwater can contaminate it. Officials in the SEOC update say not to drink or wash with water from a flooded private well until it has been inspected, disinfected, tested and declared safe. Until then, use bottled or properly treated water for drinking, cooking, ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and infant formula. If you boil, bring clear water to a rolling boil for 3 minutes. If water smells like fuel or chemicals or has an oily sheen, don't boil it or use it, because boiling won't remove chemicals. The EPA also advises testing a private well right away after flooding, and its emergency disinfection guide explains how to boil and disinfect water. In Rio Grande County, private testing is available from Sangre de Cristo labs at 719-589-1024.
Know where to get help
In an emergency, call 911. For shelter, food, lodging and resource referrals in Colorado, call 211. FEMA's Ready.gov flood page also notes that standard homeowners insurance doesn't cover flooding, and a flood insurance policy usually takes up to 30 days to start, so buy it well before a storm.
Different region, same lesson: our guide to El Niño storm preparedness for California homes covers flooding and mudslide prep on the West Coast.
FAQ
How many people have been rescued in the southwest Colorado flooding?
The state reports that the Colorado National Guard rescued 33 people and more than 15 pets as of 3 p.m. Oct. 26. Counts may change as more updates come out.
Which Colorado counties were impacted by the flooding?
DHSEM lists 12: La Plata, Archuleta, Montezuma, Dolores, Hinsdale, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Mineral, Alamosa, Conejos and Rio Grande.
Is well water safe after the Colorado floods?
Not until it's checked. A boil water order covers private wells in Rio Grande County and impacted wells in Mineral County. Officials say flooded wells must be inspected, disinfected and tested before use.
How can I help flood victims in southwest Colorado?
Follow official county and state pages. Some local officials say they don't need donations or volunteers right now, and they'll post if that changes.
Sources
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