Southwest Colorado flooding damages 540 homes as early voting outpaces 2022
The gist
Southwest Colorado flooding has damaged 540 homes and prompted 40 rescue missions, officials say.
The damage toll is still being assessed ahead of another storm forecast this weekend.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026As of late Monday, 509,364 voters had submitted ballots, about 12.6% of all active voters in Colorado; most returned ballots were mail ballots.
- Oct 23, 2026Gov. Polis declared an emergency as flooding threatened southern Colorado. Torrential rain overwhelmed rivers late Thursday into Friday, causing evacuations and destroying buildings in the southwest.
- Oct 23, 2026The evacuation warning in the Capote watershed in Archuleta County was lifted, and Huerfano County officials closed a road after 6:30 p.m. as crews worked to restore access.