ARIZONA — The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and watches for Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah on Sunday as heavy rains caused record creek levels and road washouts.

The office also issued a flood warning for Yavapai County effective until 8:45 PM MST and a separate flood warning for Coconino and Yavapai Counties effective until 8:30 PM MST. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell in the warned areas of Coconino and Yavapai Counties as of 1:59 PM MST, while 2 to 3 inches fell in Yavapai County by 2:02 PM MST. Granite Creek near Prescott reached a stage of 11.11 feet at 1:30 PM MST, exceeding the flood stage of 11.0 feet. An automated stream gauge on Oak Creek near Cornville, Arizona, surpassed its previous record stage set in 1993, reaching 19.56 feet at 12:00 PM MST. Primary source: weather.gov

The office also issued a flood warning for Cibola and McKinley Counties effective until 9:00 PM MST and a flood warning for San Juan County effective until 11:00 AM MST on November 2, 2026. Between 0.25 and 0.75 inches of rain fell in the warned areas of Cibola and McKinley Counties as of 1:35 PM MST. Emergency management reported elevated flows in arroyos and washes, including washed out roads, in northeastern San Juan County as of 2:46 PM MST. Primary source: weather.gov

"To put the forecast into perspective, during the devastating 1911 flood that wiped out most of what existed as the town of Pagosa at that time, the San Juan River crested at approximately 17.8 feet (5.4 meters)," the office said. It added, "This is a potentially catastrophic flood event. Extensive damage is expected."

The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a flood warning for Kane and Washington Counties, Utah, effective until 5:00 PM MST. The USGS river gauge on the North Fork of the Virgin River recorded a flow of 1800 cubic feet per second after a peak of nearly 2100 cubic feet per second as of 1:54 PM MST. Broad flood watches remained in effect for the region. Primary source: weather.gov