Update, 10:30 a.m.: According to county and town officials, all mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, with pre-evacuation notices currently in place. County Road 500 has been reopened.
Update, 8:15 a.m.: According to a press release from the Pagosa Springs Police Department, the mandatory evacuation order for all residents previous affected in the downtown area has been lifted.
Original: The National Weather Service has extended the flood watch for Pagosa Springs through Tuesday due to another surge of moisture that is expected with the remnants of Tropical Storm Raymond.
The agency is forecasting for drier conditions the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 12, with the rain returning Monday and Tuesday.
Local disaster emergency declarations were put in place by the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County, with areas along the south side of Hermosa Street and San Juan Street along the river downtown, and San Juan River Village under mandatory evacuation notice. An emerency shelter has been set up at the Ross Aragon Community Center for those displaced.
U.S. 160 through downtown Pagosa Springs remaind closed as of 6 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12.
Due to extreme flooding conditions in lower areas along County Road 500, it is closed to through traffic from mile marker 11 to Pagosa Junction at mile marker 26. There is an exception for local traffic exiting the area. No traffic will be allowed back into the affected area once it has departed.
Provisional data indicates the river's crest at 12.66 feet at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, was the third highest recorded crest, behind 17.80 feet on Oct. 5, 1911, and 13.50 feet on June 29, 1927.
The river reached major flood stage for a time on Saturday evening. As of 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, the river was at 9.70 feet, which falls under action stage.
