Heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Trudy that dumped 3 to 5 inches of rain across Southwest Colorado in about 24 hours Thursday caused the Animas River to overflow its banks and reminded residents of the risk of living in a 100-year flood plain. The swollen river reached a flow of 11,200 cubic feet per second at 2 p.m. Friday in Durango. That was nearly eight times the previous 2026 peak of 1,450 cfs, recorded May 15…Still, Friday’s surge was less than half the river’s highest recorded flow. On Oct. 5, 1911, the Animas River reached an estimated 25,000 cfs. And not far behind: On June 29, 1927, it reached an estimated 20,000 cfs.
The Animas River in Durango reached 8,700 feet and rising as of 7:30 a.m. on Friday. That’s the highest it has been since the flood of 1970 (11,600 cfs) and the 11th highest since consistent measurements began in 1911 (though it’s likely to move into 10th place later today). Further downstream, the Cedar Hill gage near the New Mexico-Colorado line was reading 10,800 cfs on Friday morning, and will likely continue to rise, with the potential for downstream flooding (it will also add to the San Juan River’s considerable flows).
The Rio Grande on Sunday at the Alamosa/Rio Grande county line. Credit: Owen Woods
Click the link to read the article on the Alamosa Citizen website (Owen Woods and Chris Lopez):
October 25, 2026
he Rio Grande grew to its highest level in nearly 80 years over the El Niño storm weekend, forcing evacuations even south in Conejos County and shutting down Highways 112 and 285 into Sunday.
“Legendary,” said Pat McDermott, a longtime observer of the Valley’s river systems and recent retiree of the Colorado Division of the Water Resources in the San Luis Valley.
“Basically a free river. Anybody that wanted it could take (water),” said Greg Higel, a rancher along the Rio Grande and chair of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District.
Heroic work by managers of the Valley’s canal systems helped keep communities along the Rio Grande from flooding even more than they did. The ditch riders did similar work in October 2025 when the Valley also saw historic rains.
“They all responded to try to take this top off the river,” said McDermott, noting the work of managers for the Prairie Ditch, Farmers Union, Rio Grande, Empire and Monte Vista canals.
Colorado Division of Water Resources monitoring measured a peak flow of 11,000 csf Friday at Hanna Lane in Rio Grande County, which exceeded a record reading of 9,700 cfs from 1949. The water moved south and overwhelmed Los Pinos, San Antonio and Conejos rivers to force the evacuation of the town of Manassa on Saturday evening.
“It’s phenomenal. It’s legendary,” McDermott said. “There’s going to be damage. The river got out of its banks above Del Norte. This is a legendary event.”
Colorado National Guard members went door-to-door as the town underwent an evacuation order. Around 18 residents left for a shelter set up at the Knights of Columbus Hall in La Jara, according to emergency managers.
Emergency responders made a plea for visitors, particularly hunters, to avoid the Valley due to moderate flooding across the six counties. Second rifle season hunting began on Saturday.
Jade Network set up more than 9,000 free WiFi hotspots to help first responders coordinate search and rescue operations and to help residents stay connected, said co-CEO Jordan Wehe.
A flooded field on the Stanley Road on Sunday. Credit: Owen Woods
Alamosa was under flood watch coming into Sunday, with fears the water flowing in from Del Norte would overwhelm the levee through the town. More rain was anticipated Sunday evening into Monday which kept flood concerns in place.
The city and county governments in Alamosa have just started discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers on the required rebuilding of the Alamosa levees after decades of a deteriorating levee system through the town.
Even on the east side of the Valley, the Sangre de Cristos have been covered in thick clouds all weekend and Medano Creek has surged at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Medano Creek typically flows in late spring.
The village of Guadalupe was inundated and evacuated along with parts of Manassa. Conejos County and Rio Grande County are bearing much of the brunt of the downpour.
“That area is the pinch point for Los Pinos, San Antonio and Conejos River converging,” McDermott said of Manassa. “Towns built too low for this type of weather event. The river gets out of the banks and it’s going to flow where it needs to flow.”
The Knights of Columbus in La Jara is serving as the evacuation shelter and the La Jara Arena, located at 17705 US-285, is accepting small animals and livestock. The Conejos County Health Department said if anyone has animals that need sheltering to contact Mystie Hoyt at 719-298-1099. The arena cannot take household pets.
The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office is taking donations of non-perishable foods as well as cleaning supplies needed for the shelter. Donations can be taken to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office, located at 4044 County Rd G.5 in Antonito. Be sure to buzz the front door to check in the donations’ do not leave them unattended.
All this water is creating problems for roads, with some roads being washed out or flooded, creating impasses.
San Luis Valley emergency managers have been working to assess the damage and create safe evacuation spaces for people and animals.
A concern among water and emergency managers Sunday morning was whether the Alamosa levees would hold the water coming through from Del Norte.
The Rio Grande at the county line gauge was at 5,000 cfs early Sunday morning, but by around 8 a.m., it had lowered to around 3,500 cfs. All that water is headed to Alamosa.
“That’s what I’m worried about. How is our levee system going to hold 4,000 cfs?” McDermott said.
In the 1980s, McDermott noted, the Rio Grande at Del Norte routinely flowed at 8,000 cfs and sustained those flows in the years of 1985, 1986, 1987.
In those years, the river never reached the peak flows this storm created.
The Valley’s canals have taken on much of the water between South Fork and Alamosa. Similar to October 2025’s precipitation, the canals are diverting as much as they can.
Things are easing up in South Fork, but South Fork Fire Rescue said Sunday morning workers will begin the process of transition from response to recovery efforts in South Fork, Del Norte and Monte Vista.
Residents are advised to not return home until all mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted.
Rio Grande State Wildlife Area near Monte Vista on Sunday. Credit: Owen Woods
A community meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. at the New Hope Church at 25258 US Highway 160 in South Fork.
Del Norte’s drinking water remains safe to drink and no boil orders have been issued. The South Fork Community Building still has resources for those impacted by the flooding, including drinking water and food.
The Upper Rio Grande School district announced that schools in Del Norte and South Fork would be closed on Monday.
Evacuations remain in place for the following areas:
South Fork of the Rio Grande: From the Wolf Creek Tunnel to Fun Valley and from County Road 20 to the confluence of the Rio Grande.
Rio Grande: From the confluence of the River Green Subdivision to the Shaw Creek Rest Area.
Beaver Mountain Estate residents are advised to shelter in place or evacuate via Skyline Drive North past the forest gate, following that until Park Drive then downhill past South Fork Fire Rescue on Mall Street.
Current Road Closures:
Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass–closed in both directions
Highway 285 from Monte Vista to Center Junction
Highway 112 from Del Norte to Center
Rio Grande County Road 18 Bridge to County Road 15
Escondida Bridge over the South Fork of the Rio Grande
Park Road closed to Forest Service Road 380–Park Creed Bridge is washed out
Park Creek to Summitville
In Del Norte, street closures include:
3rd Street from Spruce Street to Hermosa Street
Spruce Street from 2nd Street to Front Street
First Street from Oak Street to Pine Street
Front Street from Spruce Street to Pine Street
3rd Street and Cherry Street to 2nd Street
Rio Grande and Pecos River basins. Map credit: By Kmusser – Own work, Elevation data from SRTM, drainage basin from GTOPO [1], U.S. stream from the National Atlas [2], all other features from Vector Map., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11218868
Further downstream, the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah (actually, the gage is located closer to Mexican Hat, and is just below the confluences with Chinle and Comb washes) reached 16,200 cfs on Thursday afternoon. Navajo Dam sits between the high flows in Pagosa and this streamflow gage, so that will keep the upstream high water from increasing levels downstream even more.
A surge on the San Juan River moved toward Shiprock on Friday after two days of storms flooded homes, stranded families and forced rescues throughout the Navajo Nation. The San Juan River at Shiprock reached 17.3 feet Friday night, above the 15.5-foot flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expected the river to reach 20.7 feet late Saturday morning, just above major flood stage of 20.5 feet. Upstream in Farmington, the river reached 14.1 feet Friday, surpassing the previous record of 12.3 feet set in 1909. By late afternoon, the river had spread over its floodplain beside the U.S. Highway 64 bridges in Shiprock…At an earlier San Juan County briefing Friday, Navajo Police Deputy Chief Donnie Kee said the highest water was expected to reach Shiprock late Friday night or early Saturday…Police warned families along the river from Farmington west through Upper Fruitland, Nenahnezad, San Juan Chapter, Hogback and Shiprock to Montezuma Creek, Utah. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Shiprock Chapter Vice President Debra Yazzie issued an evacuation alert for families near the river…The floodwater also carried raw sewage after rising water inundated the Bloomfield wastewater treatment plant upstream of Navajo communities, sending untreated wastewater into the river.
Map of the San Juan River, a tributary of the Colorado River, in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, USA. Made using USGS National Map data. By Shannon1 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47456307
Below is the Snow Water Equivalent in South Platte graph from the NRCS for October 26, 2026. Snowpack is 44% of the median (down 92% one week, wild swings this time of the accumulation season) and 4% of the median peak (up 1% one week). There are 181 days until the median peak. I’ve added the lines for 2026, 2018, 2012, and 2002 since the statewide drought is still very pronounced.
Below is the Precipitation Accumulation in South Platte graph from the NRCS for October 26, 2026. This morning precipitation, at the SNOTEL stations, is at 79% of the median (down 15% one week), and 5% of the water year median (up 1% one week), There are 340 days left in the water year. I’ve added the lines for 2026, 2018, 2012, and 2002 since the statewide drought is still very pronounced.
There is a slight chance for snow showers Saturday and a chance for rain and snow showers Sunday in the central mountains. There is a slight chance for showers Saturday and a chance for showers Sunday in the northern mountains. There is a chance for showers Saturday and Sunday, down here, about 439 miles from the Four Corners National Monument near where the San Juan River is raging out of its banks flooding the Navajo Nation downstream to Lake Powell which has risen 10 feet from all the water. From Wikipedia:
Here’s a look at the Colorado 7-Day precipitation map through October 25, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas ranged from 0.00” to 1.75″.
Here’s the Colorado 7-Day percent of normal precipitation map through October 25, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte River Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas ranged from 0% to 800% of normal.
Here’s the most recent 7-Day Departure from Normal Temperature (F) for Colorado through October 25, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center.
Below is the 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast for the week of October 26, 2026. Precipitation is anticipated for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin and may total up to 0.10″
Below are the 8-14 day outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center, issued October 25, 2026, for temperature and precipitation, for the week starting November 2, 2026. The CPC expects above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin.
Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor map from October 20, 2026. There were one category improvments in Larimer, Weld, Boulder, Broomfiled, and Adams counties in the South Platte River Basin. There were one category degradations in Morgan County in the basin. Drought and abnormal dryness covers 83.50% of Colorado. The South Platte Basin is experiencing Abnormally Dry, Moderate, Severe, Extreme, and Exceptional drought conditions.
Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor one week change map ending October 20, 2026.
Here’s the US Drought Monitor Map from last week along with the one week U.S. change map.
“Holy crap,” said one of my acquaintances in Colorado when I passed along the news that Colorado, during the last water year, had an average temperature of 2 degrees Fahrenheit above the previous record year of 1934. For me, it wasn’t a great surprise. I remember all too well trying to write stories in 95 degree heat during summer in my former home/office. But it was a sucker punch nonetheless…This, many have said, is clear evidence that the current warming is just part of a phase. But this new report from Colorado State University researchers speaks to just how extraordinary these times are. The report comes after the conclusion of the 2025-26 water year, which starts in October and ends in September.
“Water year 2026 was one for the record books in Colorado,” the report says. “It was our warmest on record by a substantial margin, and it was also one of our driest.”
The mountain snowpack, the lowest ever, had implications across many sectors, from agriculture and wildfire to human health and recreation, the report continues. Once again, the temperatures continue to amaze. Colorado had four months — December and January, March and August — that were warmest ever. But 11 of the 12 months ranked among the top-15 warmest of those months on record. The researchers found that, statewide, temperatures were 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit above the averages seen between 1991-2020.
