Public Safety
Southwest Floods Force Evacuations; Colorado Ballots Due 7 p.m. Nov. 3
Unusually heavy El Niño-driven rain brought catastrophic flooding across the Four Corners region on Monday, Nov. 2, killing at least one person in Flagstaff, Arizona, and prompting evacuations in Pagosa Springs, Colorado; along the Animas River near Durango; in Chama, New Mexico; near Oak Creek in Sedona, Arizona; and on the Navajo Nation. The San Juan River crested at 16.81 feet in Pagosa Springs before receding, while Flagstaff recorded its wettest Nov. 1 ever with 5.15 inches of rain. Colorado's Secretary of State arranged alternative voting plans for displaced Pagosa Springs residents, allowing mail ballots to be returned to any state drop box or vote center by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. The La Plata County clerk set special hours Wednesday to assist voters.