Sudden floods hit US Southwest, evacuation orders issued in Arizona

Heavy rain has triggered flash floods and evacuations across the US Southwest, threatening a Colorado town with record river levels.

• Heavy rain on Sunday triggered flash floods and evacuations across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
• Arizona authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders in several areas, and heavy rain shut many highways.
• County spokesperson Vicki Schaffer said the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs reached about 14 feet by Sunday night.
• Officials forecast the river to exceed 20 feet, warning of potentially catastrophic flooding.
• Evacuation orders were also issued for Sedona in central Arizona and communities in northern New Mexico.
• The National Weather Service predicted up to 4 inches of rain across the region through Monday.
• Officials said the San Juan River's forecast crest would surpass the level of the devastating 1911 flood.
• The storm shifted east into the central United States, where rain was expected to affect Iowa, Kansas, eastern Texas and northern Michigan on Election Day.
• Rivers in Arizona and Colorado surged past major flood stage, setting record crests on the Little Colorado and Gila rivers.
• Crews continued search-and-rescue efforts across the region, including for a missing man in Flagstaff, Arizona.