Receding floodwaters leave a sea of mud and shattered homes in the U.S. Southwest

After two weeks of heavy rain, waters from the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, continue to recede, leaving behind a landscape of mud and destroyed homes. Jack Ellis, a retired schoolteacher, surveyed the damage along the river, which has experienced multiple rounds of severe flooding recently. He emphasized that cleanup efforts would be necessary to restore the area.

Nationwide, more than 20 trillion gallons of rain have fallen on the Four Corners states and Nevada over the past two weeks, equivalent to 10 months of Niagara Falls' flow. This torrential downpour resulted in at least one death due to floodwaters and another likely weather-related. In New Mexico's San Juan County, major rivers remain above flood stage, and authorities expect waters to recede, lifting evacuation orders for around 20,000 residents soon.

In Florida, polling places were altered in eight counties due to heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving over two feet of rain. Election Day voting plans were altered in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona as well, as polling places were affected by flooding. In Rock Point, Arizona, a polling location was relocated due to flooding impacts, and hundreds of voters remain unable to cast ballots.

A Navajo Nation resident expressed her distress over the loss of her stepfather's home to the floodwaters, highlighting the emotional toll of the disaster. Cleanup and repairs in Pagosa Springs, a tourist town known for its hot springs, may take weeks or even months.