Unusually heavy rain sent a massive amount of water surging through flood-weary parts of the Southwest on Monday, forcing hundreds to evacuate and keeping swift-water rescue teams busy.
One person died in the flooding, and police suspect a second death was weather-related. The National Weather Service estimated up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain could fall through Monday across the Four Corners region – where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet – as the phenomenon stoked by warming Pacific waters known as El Nino disrupts weather patterns.
More than 20 trillion gallons of rain have fallen on the Four Corners states and Nevada in the past two weeks, according to calculations by former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue.
Officials had warned of “potentially catastrophic” flooding in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a town of about 2,000 nearly wiped out in 1911 when the San Juan River crested at approximately 17.8 feet (5.4 meters). The river reached 16.81 feet (5.1 meters) late Sunday night, flooding downtown streets, before receding Monday, the weather service said.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office arranged alternative voting plans for evacuated or stranded residents of the town. Other elections officials had urged voters to cast ballots before the storms hit.
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