Severe storms, flash flooding and road damage

Proclamation of State of Local Disaster due to severe monsoon storms, flash flooding, and road infrastructure damage across the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

In accordance with the Tribe’s Emergency Operations Plan and in the interest of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of Tribal members, residents, and visitors, I, Christine Sage, Chairman of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, hereby proclaim a state of local disaster on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation as follows:

A. Background and Need

1. On October 20, 2026, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Decision Support Packet indicating moderate to heavy rainfall, possible flooding, and high confidence for periods of widespread rainfall for La Plata and Archuleta counties where the Southern Ute Indian Reservation is located.
2. On October 22, 2026, the NWS issued a Decision Support Packet indicating heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches for the southwest San Juans, and that flooding from heavy rainfall would result, including high confidence in periods of widespread rainfall and localized flooding.
3. On October 23, 2026, the NWS issued a Decision Support Packet indicating that heavy rainfall in the region was resulting in flooding of small creeks, arroyos, rivers and streams, as well as debris flows and rockslides. The packet emphasized river flooding to be expected in the following days.
4. On or about October 22, 2026, the Southern Ute Indian Reservation began experiencing flooding due to ongoing heavy rainfall that affected human health and safety through damage to primary arterial transportation routes and related infrastructure such as bridges; displacement of residents; exposure to biological hazards; power outages; and overall hardship on vulnerable populations within the Reservation.
5. Incoming situation reports indicate that the heavy rainfall is continuing to have significant impacts to communities and residents on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, including, but not limited to, areas along the San Juan, Piedra, and Los Pinos Rivers and roadways including Colorado 151, County Road 500, and County Road 310.
6. Response personnel from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Emergency Management, the Department of Transportation, Tribal Health, Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Programs Department, Risk Management, Property and Facilities, Tribal Housing, Tribal Information Services, Tribal Services, the Southern Ute Police Department, Natural Resource Enforcement Division, Growth Fund and Casino, community representatives, and other partners continue to conduct damage assessments, risk assessments, and have identified damages to transport infrastructure, community infrastructure, life safety threats, potential health and sanitation hazards, with existing vulnerabilities and risks compounded by current and anticipated monsoonal flooding.
7. Coordinated response efforts were activated to assist with response and recovery efforts for the storm and post-storm hazards to assist affected individuals in the impacted communities, to address on-going needs for sheltering the displaced, addressing risks to human health, safety, community infrastructure, and other risks.
8. There is a present and on-going urgency to pursue resources to assist the impacted communities and residents in recovery efforts including conducting damage assessments in partnership with appropriate personnel to further document and minimize the impacts of the storm and post-storm events.
9. The conditions of these rainstorms, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single government and require the combined efforts and resources of the region to appropriately respond.

B. Scope & Effect

1. This Proclamation of Local Disaster is for the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.
2. The effect of this Proclamation of Local Disaster shall be to formally activate the response and recovery provisions of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Emergency Operations Plan, as well as aspects of any and all applicable local and interjurisdictional disaster emergency plans, and to authorize the furnishing of aid and assistance under such plans, including, but not limited to, addressing needs such as sheltering displaced individuals and families and relieving conditions of significant distress or hazards to safety and welfare; using available assets to mitigate risk to public health, safety, and community infrastructure; expediting procurement of Tribal response resources; and accessing state and federal disaster assistance.

I proclaim that a State of Local Disaster exists due to significant monsoonal flooding impacts that continue to pose substantial risk to public health, safety, and community infrastructure. This Proclamation of a State of Local Disaster shall remain in effect for seven days, and if necessary, shall be replaced by a Declaration of Emergency issued by the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council.

Please remain alert, use caution when traveling, do not travel through flooded roadways, and continue monitoring official Tribal communications and emergency alerts.

In the event of an emergency or to report hazardous weather condition, contact:

• Primary Contact for Emergency Calls: 970-563-4401
• Emergency Operations Center: 469-360-5696
• Emergency Calls: 911
• For more information about the current weather conditions, please visit: https://www.weather.gov/