Flooding Forces Evacuations Along San Juan, Animas Rivers in New Mexico
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Image credit: AllenS · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
In brief
San Juan County, New Mexico, emergency managers ordered residents along the Animas and San Juan rivers to evacuate immediately on October 22, 2026, after days of heavy rain pushed both rivers toward rare flood levels. A shelter opened at McGee Park in Farmington as the same storm system also forced mandatory evacuations upstream in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Evacuation order in San Juan County
The San Juan County Office of Emergency Management told residents living along the Animas and San Juan rivers in and around Farmington, New Mexico, to leave immediately as water levels rose on October 22, 2026.
If you live along the river and the water is getting close, it's time to go. Evacuate now.
— San Juan County Office of Emergency Management
County officials opened a shelter at McGee Park for displaced residents and set aside the RV1 parking lot for evacuees arriving with recreational vehicles. Officials said they were receiving reports of flooding along both rivers and expected levels to keep rising through the evening.
River gauges approach rare levels
The National Weather Service office in Albuquerque issued flood warnings for both rivers through October 24. According to the warnings, a crest at or above 10 feet on the San Juan River at Farmington would produce flooding not seen since before the Navajo Dam was completed in 1962, with backwater flooding at the Animas-San Juan confluence identified as the main concern for the Farmington area and low-lying agricultural land downstream toward Shiprock.
NWS Albuquerque flood warnings, October 22, 2026
Gauge
Flood stage
Level Thursday evening
Forecast crest
Historical comparison
Animas River at Farmington
10.0 ft
8.5 ft (5:30 p.m.)
11.0 ft, Friday evening
Matches the crest of May 14, 1941
San Juan River at Farmington
8.5 ft
8.3 ft (6:00 p.m.)
8.9 ft, just after midnight
Below the 10.2 ft crest of June 29, 1927
The Animas River warning said both rivers were expected to fall back below flood stage by Saturday morning, and that minor flooding was already occurring along the lower Animas, with sections of the Farmington riverwalk expected to flood once the river reaches the 10-foot mark.
Flooding also forces evacuations in Colorado
The same storm system drove the San Juan River and three of its tributaries toward flood stage further upstream in southwestern Colorado. The Archuleta County Sheriff's Office issued a mandatory evacuation order shortly before 2 p.m. on October 22 for low-lying areas along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers.
Pagosa Springs closed riverside hike-and-bike trails, several town parks and two boat ramps, and warned residents to stay out of the San Juan River because of high, swift-moving water. An evacuation center opened at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Clubhouse, and sandbags were made available at the Archuleta County Building and the Tara Community Center in Arboles.
Highway 160 was closed between Wolf Creek Pass and South Fork near the Park Creek Bridge, where 8 to 10 inches of water and debris flowed over the road.
County Road 509 in La Plata County partly collapsed after a culvert failed amid heavy rain, mud and debris; County Roads 309A and 334 were also closed.
U.S. 550 over Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray was closed as a precaution, with CO 145 through Telluride recommended as an alternate route.
South Fork Fire Rescue issued evacuation notices along the South Fork of the Rio Grande and the River Green subdivision in Rio Grande County, citing the potential for levels higher than those seen in 2025; 5 to 10 homes reported minor flooding there.
What is known and what is not
As of the warnings in effect through October 24, officials had not released a count of how many homes or residents were under evacuation orders in either state, and no damage assessments for this specific event had been published by county emergency managers at the time of writing. Both the Animas and San Juan rivers in New Mexico were forecast to recede below flood stage by Saturday morning.
Questions
Why were people evacuated in San Juan County, New Mexico?
Heavy rain pushed the Animas and San Juan rivers toward flood stage, and the county's Office of Emergency Management ordered residents in low-lying areas along both rivers to leave immediately on October 22, 2026.
Where can evacuated residents go in Farmington?
San Juan County opened a shelter at McGee Park, including space for recreational vehicles in the RV1 parking lot.
Is the flooding affecting Colorado too?
Yes. The same storm forced a mandatory evacuation order in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers, and closed U.S. 550 over Red Mountain Pass and several county roads.
When are the New Mexico rivers expected to crest?
The National Weather Service forecast the Animas River at Farmington to crest at 11.0 feet on Friday evening and the San Juan River at Farmington to crest at 8.9 feet just after midnight, with both falling below flood stage by Saturday morning.
Why is flooding on the San Juan River considered unusual?
NWS Albuquerque said a 10-foot level on the San Juan River at Farmington would be the highest extent of flooding there since before the Navajo Dam was completed in 1962.
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