ARCHULETA COUNTY, Colo. — People living along several rivers in southwestern Colorado were ordered to evacuate Thursday due to the threat of flooding in the area.
The alert from officials in Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs urged residents living near all low-lying and flood prone areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo, and Piedra rivers to evacuate immediately as “as critical weather conditions continue to impact flooding behavior,” Pagosa Springs officials said in a news release.
Residents were encouraged to pick up sandbags at the Archuleta County Building at 1122 Hwy. 84 and the Tara Community Center at 333 Milton Ln, in Arboles.
“Please expect localized flooding, submerged riverbanks, and unsafe swift-water conditions,” the alert from county officials stated.
Warnings ranging from a severe thunderstorm watch to flood watches and warnings are in effect for much of southwestern Colorado through late Thursday night.
As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, minor flood had been reported for about five to 10 homes west of South Fork in Rio Grande County, per a preliminary storm report published by the National Weather Service.
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