Public Safety
Southwest Floods Force Evacuations; Election Day Voting Plans Adjusted
Heavy El Niño-driven rains caused catastrophic flooding across the Four Corners region and Arizona on Monday, November 2, forcing hundreds of evacuations in towns including Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and Durango. In Flagstaff, Arizona, two deaths were linked to floodwaters, with one victim recovered near Northern Arizona University. Election officials in affected areas arranged alternative voting plans for displaced residents, allowing mail ballots to be returned to any drop box or vote center by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Road closures and swift-water rescues continued as rivers like the San Juan and Animas reached dangerous levels.