Developing Story Note: This report covers new developments involving record-level river flooding in southwest Colorado and northern Arizona. Information may change as forecasters, emergency officials, and agencies release additional findings. Latest verified river figure: Pagosa Springs Sun update, 6:24 a.m. MST Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. Latest national storm update checked: FOX Weather, 10:12 p.m. EST Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.

The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs, Colorado, crested at 16.81 feet at about 11 p.m. MST Sunday, Nov. 1, stopping roughly a foot below the 17.8-foot mark set in the catastrophic flood of 1911, according to the Pagosa Springs Sun. The National Weather Service had warned the river could reach about 22 feet, a level that would have erased the record by several feet.

The near miss did not spare the region — mandatory evacuations swept through Pagosa Springs and Sedona, Arizona, over the weekend, helicopter crews pulled residents off rooftops along Oak Creek, and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency on Monday to unlock state funding and resources, according to FOX Weather.

For households, the danger has now shifted from rising water to what it leaves behind. Raw sewage, damaged bridges, closed highways and saturated ground define the risk for residents of Archuleta, Coconino and Yavapai counties even as rivers fall, and a second flood in two weeks has left little margin for the next storm.

Oak Creek Surge Traps Sedona Residents

In Sedona, Oak Creek climbed from about 3 feet to roughly 18 feet on Sunday, and its flow reached about 20,000 cubic feet per second that evening, according to National Weather Service figures reported by KNAU. The creek normally carries about 200 cubic feet per second. FOX Weather reported that Oak Creek reached a record peak, though gauge readings remain provisional until the U.S. Geological Survey reviews them.

City officials placed evacuation Zones 8, 9 and 10 under "GO" status Sunday morning, meaning residents had to leave immediately, and opened a shelter at Sedona Red Rock High School, ABC15 reported. Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter crews flew 27 rescue missions statewide over the weekend and helped the Sedona Fire District rescue 18 people along Oak Creek on Sunday alone.

Coconino County emergency management director Tim Carter summed up what responders were seeing. "The one word that keeps coming through is unprecedented," Carter told KNAU.

Elsewhere in northern Arizona, a man who fell into floodwaters south of downtown Flagstaff had not been found as of Monday, KNAU reported. In Prescott, Watson Lake overtopped Granite Dam, where crews are monitoring a structure built to withstand up to 10 feet of water flowing over it. State Route 89A remained closed in both directions between Sedona and Kachina Village after floodwater damaged the highway through Oak Creek Canyon.

By late Monday morning, the emergency phase was easing. At 11 a.m. MST Monday, Oak Creek at Cornville stood at 7.42 feet, just under its 8-foot flood stage, according to the NWS Flagstaff flood warning, which was set to expire at 2 p.m. MST that day.

Pagosa Springs Faces Sewage and Phone Outages

In Archuleta County, flooding developed so quickly Sunday that some mandatory evacuation orders were converted to shelter-in-place orders, and the sheriff's office warned of catastrophic flooding as the San Juan passed 16 feet. The final crest sits nearly 2 feet above the river's peak during flooding the week before, which itself ranked among the highest readings in more than a century.

Town officials warned that sewage was discharging into the San Juan River and asked residents to stay out of the water, FOX Weather reported. Cellular service was also down across Archuleta County on Monday morning, with 911 calls routed through Durango, according to Colorado Public Radio. Landlines and Wi-Fi calling still worked.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has requested $27 million in federal aid for southern Colorado flood damage, The Colorado Sun reported. The Pagosa Springs Sun said the river was expected to fall below flood stage Monday night.

A Drought Region Hit Twice in Two Weeks

The weekend storm landed on ground still soaked from the late-October flooding that swamped the Four Corners. FOX Weather reported that some Southwest rivers reached their highest levels in 50 to 100 years during that first round, and that the flash flooding killed two people in New Mexico. One of those deaths, in Santa Fe County on Oct. 24, involved a woman who was swept away after a family's vehicle tried to cross a flooded arroyo, the Associated Press reported.

The desert metros did not escape. Phoenix firefighters rescued six people from stranded vehicles on Friday with no injuries, and the NWS reported several swift-water rescues in Tucson on Sunday, according to FOX Weather's earlier storm coverage. On Sunday, the Weather Prediction Center's Level 3 of 4 flash-flood risk covered more than 65,000 square miles, including nearly all of central and northern Arizona and more than 4 million people.

Forecasters have tied the unusually wet pattern to a strong El Niño that is steering Pacific moisture into the Southwest. That fits how strong El Niño years typically behave, but no formal attribution study has assessed this specific flood.

Recovery Steps for Flooded Households

Residents should return home only after local officials lift orders for their zone. Floodwater along the San Juan and Oak Creek may carry sewage and chemicals, so gloves, boots and thorough hand washing matter during cleanup. Anyone on a private well in a flooded area should have the water tested before drinking it.

Homeowners should photograph damage before removing debris, contact insurers quickly and keep receipts for emergency repairs. Standard homeowners policies typically exclude flood damage, so residents without National Flood Insurance Program coverage may depend on state aid or federal assistance if a federal declaration is approved. Arizona's statewide emergency releases state money and resources, but it is not the same as a federal major disaster declaration.

Drivers should avoid closed roads and never enter moving water. The NWS warns that 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock an adult down and about 12 inches can carry away a small car.

The storm itself has moved east. FOX Weather said the system is touching parts of 35 states and more than 120 million people, with a Level 2 of 4 flash-flood risk around Memphis through Tuesday night and a Level 2 of 5 severe-storm threat across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama on Tuesday. Heavy rain is expected to reach the I-95 corridor, including Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston, on Thursday or Friday.

The bottom line is a mix of relief and unfinished work — the San Juan record held, rivers are falling, and the immediate warnings in Arizona have expired, but cleanup, sewage exposure, damaged roads and insurance gaps now define the risk for the hardest-hit towns.

Developing Story Timeline

Nov. 2, 2026, 10:12 p.m. EST: FOX Weather reports Arizona's statewide emergency and a storm footprint covering 35 states.

Nov. 2, 2026, 11 a.m. MST: Oak Creek at Cornville drops below flood stage, according to NWS Flagstaff.

Nov. 1, 2026, about 11 p.m. MST: The San Juan River crests at 16.81 feet at Pagosa Springs.

Nov. 1, 2026: Sedona places Zones 8, 9 and 10 on GO status as rooftop rescues begin.

Oct. 21 to 25, 2026: The first round of Four Corners flooding hits Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona.

What Readers Want to Know

Did the San Juan River break its 1911 record at Pagosa Springs? No. The river crested at 16.81 feet at about 11 p.m. MST on Nov. 1, roughly a foot below the 17.8-foot record from 1911, according to NWS gauge data reported by the Pagosa Springs Sun.

Which communities were hit hardest? Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County, Colorado, and Sedona, Rimrock, Camp Verde, and other communities along Oak Creek in Arizona saw evacuations, rescues, and road closures. Flagstaff, Prescott and Winslow also reported flooding.

Is it safe to go back into the water along the San Juan River? No. Town officials have warned that sewage has been discharged into the river. Residents should stay out of the water until local health officials say otherwise.

What does Arizona's statewide emergency mean for residents? It allows the state to release emergency funding and resources. It is separate from a federal major disaster declaration, which would be needed for most federal individual assistance.

Will flood insurance cover my damage? Standard homeowners policies usually exclude flood damage. Residents should check whether they hold a National Flood Insurance Program or private flood policy and document all damage with photos before cleanup.

Where is the storm headed next? FOX Weather said the system was bringing flash-flood and severe-storm risks to parts of the South on Tuesday, with heavy rain expected along the I-95 corridor on Thursday or Friday.