Southwest Flooding Turns Deadly as 2 Die in Flagstaff and Arizona Declares Emergency

Two men have been found dead in Flagstaff, Arizona, as historic flooding across the American Southwest turned deadly on Monday. Governor Katie Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency as the flood disaster forced evacuations and rescues across at least a dozen counties in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. More than ten rivers, creeks and washes surged past major flood stage. Rain has now ended in the Southwest, but officials warned that flooding along some swollen waterways could last through at least Tuesday, even as the storm pushed east toward voters on Election Day.

Key Points

• Two men were found dead in Flagstaff on Monday morning, including 73-year-old Williams Singavarapu, who reportedly fell into floodwater on Sunday evening.
• Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency on Monday to help local authorities clear roads, repair infrastructure and help displaced residents.
• Around 20,000 people in New Mexico's San Juan County were told to evacuate areas within half a mile of three rivers, and rescues were under way as water entered homes.
• More than ten rivers, creeks and washes in Arizona and southwest Colorado passed major flood stage, with record crests on the Little Colorado and Gila rivers.
• The storm is now pushing east for Election Day, bringing rain to the Plains, Midwest and Mississippi Valley, while the East Coast and West stay mostly dry.

What Happened

In Flagstaff, police said a 73-year-old man was found dead early on Monday morning after reportedly falling into floodwater on Sunday evening. He was identified as Williams Singavarapu. A second man was found dead in Flagstaff on Monday morning in a stormwater drainage area. That death appeared weather-related, but an official cause of death was still under investigation.

Around Sedona, Arizona, crews conducted rooftop rescues as flooding trapped residents. In northwestern New Mexico, around 20,000 people in San Juan County received alerts to evacuate areas within half a mile of the Animas, La Plata and San Juan rivers, county spokesperson Devin Neeley told CNN on Monday. Rescues were under way there and water had entered homes.

In Colorado, evacuations were ordered along the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, which surged past major flood stage for the second time in about ten days. Sunday evening's crest was nearly two feet higher than the destructive flooding on October 23. Mandatory evacuations were also issued on Sunday evening along the Rio Grande in South Fork, Del Norte and Monte Vista, although no injuries or missing people had been reported there as of Monday morning.

The river flooding was historic. Over ten rivers, creeks and washes in Arizona and southwest Colorado surged past major flood stage, the highest level, and a few set new record crests. Record flooding unfolded along the Little Colorado River near Winslow, Arizona, and the Gila River near Solomon, Arizona. Early on Monday, the Gila crested more than two feet higher than the level capable of flooding homes and businesses north of Solomon, Safford and Thatcher.

Background: Months of Rain in a Matter of Days

The flooding followed a storm that dropped multiple months' worth of rain across the region, overwhelming desert waterways that are normally dry or low. In the days before Monday's deaths, rivers across Arizona and southwest Colorado were already running at record levels, and rescue teams were pulling residents from rooftops and flooded roads. This update follows our earlier report on the record river crests.

Desert flooding can be especially dangerous because dry, hard ground sheds water quickly, sending it rushing into washes, streets and river channels with little warning. Low-water crossings, drainage areas and normally quiet creeks can become lethal in minutes. Officials repeatedly urge residents never to drive or walk through floodwater, even when the water looks shallow.

Southwest Flooding: Emergency Declaration and Rescue Effort

Governor Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency on Monday, saying the declaration would ensure local authorities have the resources they need to clear roads, repair infrastructure and help displaced residents. The declaration unlocks state coordination for counties stretched by days of rescues, road closures and evacuations, and signals that recovery will extend well beyond the rainfall itself.

Rescue work continued in several states at once. Alongside the rooftop rescues around Sedona and the evacuations in San Juan County, New Mexico, Colorado officials managed evacuations along two river systems, while Arizona counties dealt with record crests on rivers that had already flooded homes and businesses.

Reactions and Quotes

Governor Katie Hobbs said the statewide emergency was declared to ensure local authorities have the resources they need to clear roads, repair infrastructure, and help displaced residents. Her office framed the declaration as a practical step to support communities already coping with evacuations and damage.

In San Juan County, New Mexico, spokesperson Devin Neeley told CNN that rescues were under way and water had entered homes after evacuation alerts went out to around 20,000 people. In Colorado, South Fork officials said no injuries or missing people had been reported in the Rio Grande evacuation areas as of Monday morning. Flagstaff police said the second death appeared weather-related but that an official cause remained under investigation.

Why It Matters

The Flagstaff deaths change this flood from a property and travel disaster into a deadly one, with a warning far beyond Arizona. Most flood deaths in the United States happen when people encounter water on roads, in drainage areas or near swollen creeks, often in places that looked passable minutes earlier. One victim reportedly fell into floodwater on Sunday evening and was not found until Monday morning.

The emergency declaration matters because recovery from a flood of this scale is measured in weeks, not days. Roads must be inspected and cleared, water systems checked, homes assessed, and displaced residents housed, all while some rivers remain above flood stage. The timing also matters: the storm reached voters on Election Day, and studies have repeatedly found that bad weather tends to reduce voter participation.

What Happens Next

In the Southwest, the immediate priority is rescue and recovery: accounting for residents in evacuated areas, keeping flooded roads closed until inspected, and monitoring rivers that could remain above flood stage through at least Tuesday. Officials will then begin damage assessment, which determines what state and federal assistance communities can receive.

For voters, the storm's eastward push means a wet Election Day across the Plains, the Upper Midwest, the Mississippi Valley and the western Gulf Coast. Severe thunderstorms rumbled to life on Monday afternoon and were expected to continue overnight across the central and southern Plains, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas, with damaging winds the primary threat and a few tornadoes possible.

Election officials in flood-affected areas adapted. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a voting center and ballot drop box were relocated, and voters affected by floods can request an emergency ballot online or go to another voting center, although they will be limited to statewide races only if they go to one outside their home county. In New Mexico, all polling locations were set to open as planned. In Utah, Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson issued an emergency order allowing San Juan County voters unable to travel to polling or drop box locations to request and return ballots electronically. Dry weather was expected along much of the East Coast and in the West.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people have died in the Southwest flooding?

Two men were found dead in Flagstaff on Monday morning: 73-year-old Williams Singavarapu, who reportedly fell into floodwater on Sunday evening, and a second man found in a stormwater drainage area, whose death appeared weather-related.

Which states were hit hardest?

Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, with evacuations and rescues in at least a dozen counties. Record flooding struck the Little Colorado River near Winslow and the Gila River near Solomon, both in Arizona.

Is Arizona under a state of emergency?

Yes. Governor Katie Hobbs declared a statewide state of emergency on Monday to help local authorities clear roads, repair infrastructure and help displaced residents.

Will the storm affect voting on Election Day?

Rain was expected across the Plains, Upper Midwest, Mississippi Valley and western Gulf Coast, with isolated severe storms possible in parts of Texas and the Mississippi Valley. Some voting locations, including in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, were relocated.

What should residents do if they encounter floodwater?

Never drive or walk through floodwater, obey evacuation orders and road closures, and move to higher ground if water rises near your home. Even shallow-looking water can hide washed-out roads, debris and strong currents.

Related coverage: Southwest record flooding: rivers hit record crests as storm heads to Election Day; Brevard flooding moves Election Day polling places as voters head to polls.