DURANGO — Communities in southern Colorado are bracing for more rain after weekend flooding forced hundreds to evacuate and damaged properties.
A storm Saturday dropped 4 to 6 inches of rain in parts of southwestern Colorado, sending a surge of water into local rivers and streams until they reached historic levels. The flooding washed out roads, damaged bridges and evacuation routes and prompted boil water advisories. No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.
Rain started again Monday morning, and more rain is on the horizon, said Kate Abbott, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
“We have another push of heavy rain coming into southwest Colorado right now,” Abbott said Monday morning.
It’s set to hit the southern San Juan Mountains similar to the last dose of moisture, which came from Hurricane Priscilla in the Pacific Ocean.
Between Monday morning and Tuesday morning, the weather service expects 1 to 2 inches to fall on most of the southwestern region.
More localized rainfall could reach 4 inches, especially in the mountains.
Over the weekend, emergency responders in La Plata County evacuated about 390 homes in the small, remote lakeside community near Vallecito Reservoir more than 20 miles northeast of Durango.
The community plans to hold a meeting Monday at 6 p.m. in the Vallecito Community Center for more updates.
Heavy flooding impacted residents along County Road 501, the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 in Vallecito, Colorado. The Upper Pine Fire Protection District reported 11 high-water rescues on Saturday, one of which was a household that did not evacuate when an alert went out and needed help when floodwaters rose. (Jeremy Wade Shockley, Special to The Colorado Sun)In Archuleta County, officials evacuated parts of downtown, where heavy construction already limited traffic through the touristic town known for its hot springs.
The moisture is fueled by Hurricane Priscilla and tropical storm Raymond, Abbott said.
“We’re expecting flooding again near Vallecito, and a similar peak on the creek to what we saw there,” she said. “We’re expecting the San Juan River in Pagosa to rise into moderate flood stage early tomorrow morning from the rainfall today.”
Flood warnings remained in effect for the Vallecito area and along the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs, according to a National Weather Service report Monday morning. The weather service also continued flood watches for southwestern counties, including La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Dolores, Hindsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande and Conejos counties.
A warning means flooding is happening or will happen soon. A watch is issued when flooding is possible.
Vallecito residents use gravel and sandbags to redirect water flows at Blue Spruce RV Park, at the north end of Vallecito Valley. (Jeremy Wade Shockley, Special to The Colorado Sun)Since Thursday, much of southwestern Colorado has seen about 2 inches of rain.
The area northeast of Vallecito received 6 inches since Thursday. Pagosa Springs saw 2 to 4 inches, with more rainfall to the northeast. The totals decline to the southwest in areas like Mesa Verde National Park.
“That’s why we saw the river rise in Pagosa. Those rains to the northeast fed right into the river there,” Abbott said.
Most of that rain has fallen since Saturday morning.
The majority of southwestern Colorado received about an inch of rain in the last 48 hours.
The southern San Juan Mountains were hit the hardest. The area northeast of Vallecito saw 2 to 3 inches of rainfall. The Pagosa Springs area saw 2 to 3 inches of rain with some smaller areas receiving 4 to 5 inches of rain since Saturday morning.
The flow of water in creeks and rivers is expected to peak overnight Monday into Tuesday, unlike Saturday when people were awake and could respond quickly to the rising waters.
“That can be very dangerous because people can be sleeping and it’s harder to see what’s ahead of you on the roadways,” Abbott said.
Residents should always have a way to receive weather warnings and make sure they are subscribed to wireless emergency alerts that send updates to mobile phones. NOAA Weather Radio is another way to get information, Abbott said.
Residents in low-lying areas might consider seeking higher ground out of an abundance of caution.
“We’re expecting very similar locations to be impacted to what we saw over the weekend,” Abbott said. “A lot of evacuations are already in place for those areas, so that’s a good thing.”
Road Closures
Major highways were open Monday morning, according to COTrip, operated by the Colorado Department of Transportation. Travelers on U.S. 160 should expect rainy road surfaces between Durango and Pagosa Springs and a slushy mix of rain and snow over Wolf Creek Pass, northeast of Pagosa Springs, which also has lane closures due to construction.
Travelers on U.S. 550, which runs north-south between Durango and Silverton, should expect rain and possible thunderstorms or snow as they head over mountain passes.
The roadways in the Vallecito Reservoir area, particularly northeast of the lake, are closed as emergency responders and county crews clear debris and repair damage to bridges or other infrastructure.
Vallecito Creek flows at historic levels Saturday afternoon following heavy rainfall sent by Hurricane Priscilla. Photographed at the north end of Vallecito Valley, near the Vallecito Campground, trees and other debris are seen in the fast moving, turbulent water estimated at close to 7,000 CFS. (Jeremy Wade Shockley, Special to The Colorado Sun)Archuleta County
The San Juan River peaked at 8,270 cubic feet per second and a height of 12.66 feet, the third highest level since October 1911. The last three of five historic crests have occurred in the past six years, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office.
Archuleta County was determining Saturday whether any water mains broke, water systems or wells were affected or wastewater overflowed into the San Juan River.
As a precautionary measure, the county’s public health department issued a boil water advisory for all residents with water wells and/or septic systems along the San Juan River.
On Sunday, the county said that downtown areas where water had been restored could resume using water without boiling it.
The county and Pagosa Springs also rescinded the mandatory evacuation orders for residents Sunday morning, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office.
Pre-evacuation orders were still in place with the option for residents to return to their homes as of Sunday morning.
Officials from Archuleta County and Pagosa Springs were doing damage assessments Sunday.
No roads were closed, but officials urged travelers to use caution in areas with mudslides and debris.
“Looking ahead to the next two days, we are looking for tropical storm Raymond to impact our area Monday afternoon into Wednesday with 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rainfall in our mountain areas,” Sheriff Mike Le Roux said in a written public safety notice.
Hence then, the article about flood watches warnings continue in southwestern colorado after weekend floods was published today ( ) and is available on Colorado Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Flood watches, warnings continue in southwestern Colorado after weekend floods )
Also on site :
- WWE RAW Results & Winners (October 13, 2025): The Vision backstab Seth Rollins; CM Punk wins triple-threat match; Asuka flatlines Rhea Ripley & more
- Maldives becomes the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B
- Winter Storm Warning As 3 Feet of Snow To Hit