People rescued from rooftops during floods in the US — The Guardian

In the Four Corners region in the western United States, severe flooding has led to residents being evacuated, people being rescued from the roofs of homes, and impassable roads. Residents in low-lying areas of Colorado and New Mexico were ordered to evacuate, while people in other areas were advised to shelter in place until water levels recede, The Guardian reports.

Evacuations in New Mexico

In Farmington, the largest city in the Four Corners region, about 600 households were ordered to evacuate. Areas along the San Juan River were closed because of rising water levels.

According to San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley, the New Mexico National Guard rescued people overnight and throughout Friday using boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles. Rescuers took people from rooftops and led them out of homes where water levels reached between one and one and a half metres.

Neeley said the sky had begun to clear, but rivers continued to rise and exceeded their forecast peak levels. The source does not specify the number of people rescued.

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Consequences in neighbouring states

In southwestern Colorado, the National Guard was also deployed to deal with the aftermath of the flooding. Rising water levels prompted mandatory evacuations along four rivers, including the San Juan near Pagosa Springs. The Archuleta County Sheriff's Office urged people to stay home, as many roads remained impassable and unsafe for travel.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency in 11 counties because of heavy rainfall and flooding in the southwest of the state. In neighbouring Rio Grande County, water surrounded trailers at a campground and partially submerged trucks elsewhere.

In Hurricane, in the far southwest of Utah, cleanup began after a state of emergency was declared. Reddish-brown floodwater reached about 80 homes in a residential neighbourhood and 50 recreational vehicles in an RV park.

The floods were another consequence of two months of heavy rainfall that ended the region's summer drought. National Weather Service meteorologist Kate Abbott noted that, because the soil is saturated with moisture, new precipitation could cause further flooding.