Photo by Wes Warren on Unsplash

Floods Force Rooftop Rescues in US Southwest

natureOct 25, 2026·299 words·3 min read

Severe flooding hit the Four Corners region of the United States on Friday, October 23. This is the area where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet. Emergency teams had to rescue people from the roofs of their homes. In San Juan County, New Mexico, National Guard boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles worked overnight. A county spokesman said some houses had up to one and a half metres of water inside, and more was coming.

The rain started on Wednesday. It came from the remains of Hurricane Trudy, an old storm from the Pacific Ocean. Some places got record amounts of rain. After weeks of rain, the ground was too wet to hold any more water. A scientist, Daniel Swain, said warm ocean water helped cause the storms. He said El Niño, a natural change in Pacific Ocean temperatures, and climate change both played a part.

Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, declared an emergency in 11 counties. In Utah, floodwater damaged more than 100 homes and RVs (large camping vans). Navajo Nation police rescued 30 people on Thursday. In Arizona, a helicopter saved four people from the roof of a truck. By midday Friday, officials had not reported any deaths. But more storms are coming this weekend, and recovery will take a long time.

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