Why it matters
For Archuleta County residents, the price is local first: town and county governments could afford only some of last year's $13 million in repairs, and incomplete work may have worsened this year's damage before any federal help arrives.
Leaders survey damage while much of county stays underwater
Pagosa Springs Town Manager David Harris said countywide flood damage could reach $90 million to $100 million, but the full extent remains hard to measure because so much of Archuleta County is still underwater after last week's storms.
The joint work session Monday evening brought together Archuleta County commissioners and members of the Pagosa Springs Town Council for more than two hours. Leaders discussed communication systems, rescue operations and protocols, and the extent of damage across the county.
Harris gave the early countywide estimate in blunt terms. 'Countywide we're probably looking (at) 90 to 100 million,' Harris said. He also cautioned, 'It's really hard to say at this point, just because so much is still underwater.'
Repairs from last year's flood stayed unfinished
Local governments repaired only some of the estimated $13 million in damage from the October 2025 flood, and Town Manager David Harris said the incomplete repairs may have compounded damage from this year's flooding in Archuleta County.
That earlier flood destroyed roads and property along the San Juan River, and the communities spent the last year repairing the damage. Harris said local governments could only afford to repair some of it.
Last December, the Trump administration denied the state's request for a disaster declaration, the formal step that can make federal disaster help available. The denial made towns and counties ineligible for support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the federal agency that provides disaster support, known as FEMA.
Archuleta County Commissioner Warren Brown, also a Republican, pointed to that unfinished work. 'I can't help but wonder had we been able to get funding to properly repair some of the damages last year, if we would not have been in a better place this year to absorb some of this water,' Brown said.
County commissioner sends plea through congressional staff
Archuleta County Commissioner John Ranson, a Republican, asked congressional staff at the Monday meeting to carry a message to President Trump urging him to sign the local disaster declaration as soon as possible.
Ranson directed his remarks to the congressional staff attending the meeting, asking them to deliver a message to President Trump. 'I know he's not listening, or any of his crew,' Ranson said. 'But if the three of you could pass this on to Mr. President.' The plea continued, 'Last year we had zero help. No dollars. And (we) had to dig out of a hundred-year flood. I plead with you, sir, to sign the local disaster declaration, as soon as possible.'
Staff representing Colorado's Democratic U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and representing Republican Jeff Hurd, who represents the state's 3rd Congressional District, all joined the meeting by video call.
The town and county are now dealing with the consequences of two historic flooding events in just one year. For now, both communities are still digging out while the question of federal help remains unresolved.
