Thousands evacuated from ‘catastrophic’ flash floods in US

Thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes as flash floods swept through the US. Heavy rainfall caused “catastrophic flooding” across on Sunday, forcing entire towns to evacuate. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado , a town of some 2,000 residents in the Rockies, severe weather caused more than $13m in damage, according to the area’s water and wastewater service providers. The San Juan River was forecast to crest at more than 20ft on Sunday night.

The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: “To put the forecast into perspective, during the devastating 1911 flood that wiped out most of what existed as the town of Pagosa at that time, the San Juan River crested at approximately 17.8ft. “This is a potentially catastrophic flood event.” By Sunday evening, the river’s crest had reached about 14ft, according to Vicky Schaffer, a spokesman for the county. Roads in and out of the town were closed and residents who were not under evacuation orders were urged to stay at home.

Photos from the affected areas showed emergency services attempting to rescue residents from stranded vehicles. Meanwhile, communities in northern New Mexico and central Arizona also received mandatory evacuation orders as the rain forced the closure of several highways. Officials ordered residents in the village of Oak Creek, which is close to the city of Sedona in Arizona, to leave immediately as floodwaters trapped people in their homes.

Nearby Yavapai County and Camp Verde, a town within the county, issued similar evacuation orders for residents living near swollen rivers and creeks. More than 100 miles south-east of Sedona, officials in Gila County ordered the total evacuation of Gisela, a community of several hundred residents along Tonto Creek. Aardon Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the city of Tucson, said: “We are getting two or three months of rain in a span of a couple of days.”

Rain fell nearly non-stop in Flagstaff, Arizona, flooding roads and overwhelming storm drains. Authorities were searching for a man who slipped and fell into fast-moving floodwaters “and was not seen resurfacing”, according to a police statement on Sunday evening. Officials in Pagosa Springs said anyone in low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers should head to a designated shelter at a local church. Katie German, a business owner in Pagosa Springs, said the town had been evacuated and streets had been flooding.

Ms German said she was most worried about the one bridge into Pagosa Springs washing out, which would obstruct vehicles carrying food and fuel from entering the town. “I’m worried about my business, worried about my employees, definitely worried for everybody in this town,” she said.