Story perspectives

Historic Four Corners Floods Evacuate Thousands, Power Outages Hit 1,500

By Drooid · Oct 24, 2026, 11:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Emergency officials evacuated thousands as historic flooding struck the Four Corners region.
The San Juan River rose above 23.17 feet in Shiprock and 14.5 feet near Farmington.
San Juan County crews completed at least 60 water rescues since Thursday.
About 1,500 people lost electricity due to flood-related power outages.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared emergencies for 11 counties.

History

Historical Context

The 1982-83 El Niño produced record snowpack in the Rockies, and in June 1983 rapid melt and heavy rain caused the Colorado River to overtop Glen Canyon and Hoover spillways for the first time, inflicting about $80 million in damages and seven deaths. That flood’s legacy informs Colorado’s 2024 San Juan River evacuations.

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Story summary

Emergency officials evacuated thousands as historic flooding struck the Four Corners region.
The San Juan River rose above 23.17 feet in Shiprock and 14.5 feet near Farmington.
San Juan County crews completed at least 60 water rescues since Thursday.
About 1,500 people lost electricity due to flood-related power outages.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared emergencies for 11 counties.

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