Deadly flooding forces evacuations in Southwest as storm shifts east for Election Day

By Meteorologists Tyler Ory, Chris Dolce, Briana Waxman, and CNN’s Kate S. Petersen

(CNN) — A storm causing historic flooding, evacuations and rescues in the Southwest is now pushing into the central United States, where it will bring soggy weather on Election Day on Tuesday.

The conditions will be much less serious on Election Day but could still affect turnout in key races across the nation’s midsection. Active weather tends to suppress voter turnout while sunshine has the opposite effect, multiple studies have found.

Rain has finally ended in the Southwest after the storm dropped multiple months’ worth of it, causing waterways to burst their banks and forcing evacuations in at least a dozen counties across parts of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

In Flagstaff, Arizona, a 73-year-old man was found dead early Monday morning after reportedly falling into floodwater Sunday evening, according to the Flagstaff Police Department. He was identified as Williams Singavarapu in a news release.

Crews around Sedona, Arizona, have also conducted rooftop rescues amid dangerous flooding.

Over 10 rivers, creeks and washes in Arizona and southwest Colorado have surged past major flood stage — the highest level — and a few have set new record crests. Flooding of some swollen waterways could last through at least Tuesday.

Record flooding has unfolded along the Little Colorado River near Winslow, Arizona, and the Gila River near Solomon, Arizona. Early Monday morning, the Gila River crested more than 2 feet higher than the level capable of flooding several homes and businesses on the north sides of Solomon, Safford and Thatcher, Arizona, according to the National Weather Service.

Around 20,000 people in northwestern New Mexico’s San Juan County received alerts to evacuate areas within a half mile of the Animas, La Plata and San Juan rivers, county spokesperson Devin Neeley told CNN Monday. Rescues are underway and water has entered homes, he said.

In Colorado, evacuations have been ordered along the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, which has surged past major flood stage for the second time in about 10 days. Sunday evening’s crest there was nearly 2 feet higher than the destructive flooding on October 23.

Mandatory evacuations were also issued Sunday evening along the Rio Grande in South Fork, Del Norte and Monte Vista, Colorado. No injuries or missing people have been reported in those areas as of Monday morning, according to South Fork officials.

The dangerous weather has impacted some voting locations in Pagosa Springs ahead of Election Day: A voting center and ballot drop box have been relocated, according to a Sunday news release from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. Those impacted by floods can request an emergency ballot online or go to another voting center, but they’ll be limited to statewide races only if they go to one outside their home county.

Local officials in San Juan County, New Mexico, and Cococino and Yavapai counties in Arizona told CNN they are not expecting major Election Day disruptions as of Monday afternoon. CNN has reached out to state election officials in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico for more information.

Storm pushes east for Election Day

The storm is now pushing into the Plains and Midwest with gusty winds and soaking rain.

Severe thunderstorms rumbled to life Monday afternoon and will continue overnight across the central and southern Plains, including in Dallas-Fort Worth, Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas. Damaging winds are the primary threat, but a few tornadoes are also possible.

The storm will lose some of its strength on Election Day, but rain will impact voters from the Great Plains and Upper Midwest south through the Mississippi Valley to the western Gulf Coast. Key races in Iowa, Kansas, eastern Texas and northern Michigan will deal with wet conditions.

Isolated severe storms are possible from eastern Texas to the lower and middle Mississippi Valley. The threat of flooding rain is low, but voters traveling to the polls could encounter ponding on roads.

Dry weather will sandwich the storm along much of the East Coast and in the West. Some showers in Florida, northern New England and Northern California are the only exceptions.

Across much of the country, there will be little need to bundle up to go vote. High temperatures in most of the nation’s eastern half are forecast to be 5 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above average. Some portions of the Southwest and Plains will lean a bit cooler than average.

Forecast for key race states

• Georgia: Mostly dry except for possible isolated showers in southern Georgia starting in the morning at the coast then spreading inland through afternoon. Highs will hit the 70s and 80s.
• Iowa: Rain is likely, with the heaviest totals falling over the eastern portion of the state on Tuesday morning. Additional showers could sprout up in western and central Iowa from the morning through the afternoon. Highs will reach the 60s but could lean cooler in the northwest corner.
• Kansas: Scattered showers and windy conditions are likely, especially in northern Kansas from morning into early afternoon. Gusts will range from 20 to 40 mph much of the day. Highs will range from the 40s and 50s in the northwest portions of the state to the 60s in the east.
• Maine: Scattered showers are possible across the northern and western portions of the state starting in the morning but will become more likely through the afternoon. Highs will range from the 40s in the state’s north to the 60s in the south.
• Michigan: The Upper Peninsula has the highest rain chances throughout the day. A few showers could also clip northern Lower Michigan. Highs will range from the 60s in the Upper Peninsula to the mid-70s in Lower Michigan.
• New Hampshire: A stray shower or two is possible in northern portions of the state, especially by the afternoon. Highs will be in the 50s and 60s in the north and near 70 in the south.
• North Carolina: Mostly dry with highs in the 70s.
• Ohio: Mostly dry with highs in the 70s.
• Texas: Eastern and coastal Texas will likely see rain from west to east throughout the day. Houston’s best chance of storms is in the afternoon. A few severe thunderstorms are also possible. Highs will range from the 80s near the coast to the 60s in the state’s panhandle and west Texas.

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