Downpour Prompts Flood Concerns County’s South End

San Juan River in Archuleta County experienced severe flooding on October 11 and October 14, inundating parts of Pagosa Springs, including the popular Springs Resort located along the San Juan River, source of most of the damage done during this extreme weather event.
A portion of the Piedra River located in the southern portion of Hinsdale County also reached flooding levels on October 14. There was damage reported on private ranches and farms in the affected area, although not much damage of note to public infrastructure.
Hinsdale County Commissioner Kristie Borchers stated that Gene Snow, who heads the South End R&B Dept., reported no significant damage, although quite a bit of gravel was “relocated” off portions of county roads.
Hinsdale County resident Becky Guilliams, daughter of past Hinsdale County Commissioner and longtime county planning commission member John Taylor, reports there are not many houses or public infrastructure located in the Upper Piedra area where she and her husband, Dave Guilliams, reside but ranches in her neighborhood suffered damages that may not be repaired until spring, taking into account the need to put together funding sources for the repairs, as well as time to complete repair work.
Guilliams states that many of the residents are dealing with blown-out ditches and broken head property.
Hinsdale County has formally issued a written Emergency Declaration which is a vital step in applying for funds if FEMA decides to provide funds for those affected by flooding in the area. Federal funding, however, is not a given.
FEMA generally only provides emergency funding to citizens who are uninsured or underinsured, and only for primary residences.
The Piedra River crested at 7.26 feet on Tuesday, October 14, up from just 1.05 ft on October 9.
In a telephone interview, Guilliams references how grateful she and her neighbors are that no lives were lost — neither human nor animal.
A FEMA representative meeting with Archuleta County Commissioners noted that the Piedra River flooding of October 14 was the highest on record while the San Juan River was the fourth and third highest on record on October 11 and 14.