# Archuleta County Under Flood Warning Amid Heavy Rains and Evacuations

> Widespread flooding in southwestern Colorado prompts mandatory evacuations and road closures as heavy rainfall continues.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-23T13:53:14.938490Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/archuleta-county-under-flood-warning-amid-heavy-rains-and-evacuations-0547b937

Archuleta County in southwestern Colorado is experiencing urban and small stream flooding due to excessive rainfall [1]. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flood Warning for the county on October 23, 2026, from 7:28 AM MDT until 9:45 AM MDT [1]. Between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had already fallen, with an additional 0.5 to 1 inch possible [1].

Flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the warned area [1]. Rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations are experiencing flooding [1]. This has resulted in several structures being flooded and numerous roads remaining closed county-wide [1]. Some of the affected locations include Pagosa Springs, Lonetree, Chimney Rock, Juanita, Gato, and Pago [1].

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for low-lying and flood-prone areas along several rivers [2][3][6][7]. The Archuleta County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), along with Pagosa Springs, initiated these evacuations along the San Juan River, Rio Blanco River, Navajo River, and Piedra River [3][6][7]. Local authorities ordered residents and travelers in vulnerable zones to evacuate immediately as swift-moving waters breached channel banks [7].

Road closures are affecting various parts of the county [2][6]. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reported that Highway 160 was closed between Wolf Creek Pass and South Fork after floodwaters covered the road [6]. CO 151 is also closed south of the US 160 junction [6]. Within Pagosa Springs, Hermosa Street and San Juan Street are closed [6]. ACSO stated that North Pagosa Boulevard from around Gate 5 to the top of the split past Coronado Circle was closed, and County Road 500 is closed from mile marker 12 to Highway 151 [6].

The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs is expected to rise to 13.7 feet, which is over a foot above major flood stage, by approximately 4 a.m. Friday [3]. Archuleta School District schools were closed on Friday, October 23 [2]. A resident in Pagosa Springs reported a power outage in the downtown area early Friday morning [4]. This resident also noted McCabe Creek had overflowed its banks, appearing to flood part of the neighborhood [4]. Sandbags are available at the Archuleta County Building and the Tara Community Center [6]. The flooding in Archuleta County is occurring as "Super El Niño Storms" affect Colorado and the Southwest [7].

## Evidence cited
1. NWS Flood Warning: Archuleta, CO (nws_alerts) — https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.dd87bcd00634159c9154784553c4ae82099c8a65.001.1
2. pagosasun.com — https://pagosasun.com/
3. gazette.com — https://gazette.com/
4. pagosadailypost.com — https://pagosadailypost.com/
5. archuletacounty.gov — https://archuletacounty.gov/
6. krdo.com — https://krdo.com/
7. cristinaiglesias.com — https://cristinaiglesias.com/