Sheriff's office provides update on evacuations, bridge damage

Vicki Shaffer, the Colorado Incident Management Team spokesperson, held a quick phone call with reporters late Monday afternoon to share information on this week’s flooding.

Here are a few key points from the call:

• Reconnaissance flights were ongoing Monday.

“We’ve had teams in the field all day today, running through the areas that have been flooded,” she said. 

The main priority for the day was to ensure nobody was trapped. 

“That’s the highest priority for today,” she said. “I’ve heard of a rescue that has taken place. They returned here a few minutes ago with some people who had been unable to evacuate last night.”

This work will continue, Shaffer said, until “we’re sure everybody who was trapped by the floodwaters has been rescued.”

• There is no firm count yet on the number of buildings washed away by the flood.

“I won’t have that count until probably later this evening or tomorrow,” Shaffer said. “Our teams are still in the field.”

Shaffer noted she has seen the videos online of a house that floated down the river and hit the pedestrian bridge, and photos online showing the museum is “teetering,” as she put it.

• There’s no update on any concerns about natural gas connections.

“There was some concern with that this morning,” Shaffer said, but she said she won’t have an update on that issue until Tuesday morning.

• Shaffer said teams from the Colorado Department of Transportation are assessing the bridges in the area to determine if they are safe to reopen or not.

The U.S. 160 bridge over the Piedra River about 22 miles west of Pagosa appears to have “suffered severe damage,” Shaffer said. “That one is going to take some repair.”

Shaffer said she had seen images earlier Monday showing the bridge had “buckled.” The latest images show that a “section is gone,” she said, adding that “supports are showing very obvious damage.”

The bridges in Pagosa Springs appear to be in better condition, she said, but they are still being assessed.

Getting the U.S. 160 bridge repaired will be among the top priorities when the floodwaters recede. Restoring access to Pagosa Springs from the west is vital, she said.

“We need to get groceries and fuel and those kinds of things in here,” Shaffer said. 

• There is no estimate yet on the number of people evacuated or rescued. 
• Cellphones are still down in the area. Land lines are working, and some people have had success using Wi-Fi calling.
• Shaffer had hoped that the sheriff and the incident commander would join her for the press briefing, but both were still on a reconnaissance flight to assess damage from the storm. Shaffer planned an additional press briefing Tuesday morning where additional information will be shared.