Flood warnings stay up across the Four Corners as the Guard airlifts a couple from an overturned RV in Colorado

The water is still up across the Four Corners, and forecasters say the rivers have not finished with the region.

Flood warnings stayed in force on Monday in south central Colorado, central New Mexico and southeastern Utah, concentrated along riverbanks where floodwater is still moving downstream. Parts of the region have taken up to five inches of rain since October 21, as of October 26. A tornado touched down in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday. Roads turned to rivers in parts of Colorado, Utah and Arizona, and residents in low lying areas were told to evacuate while shelters stayed open.

In southwest Colorado, a Colorado National Guard helicopter lifted a couple and their pets out of an overturned RV trapped in raging floodwater. Governor Jared Polis has declared a disaster emergency for a dozen counties and activated the Guard to help with search and rescue and local support. The Colorado Department of Transportation reported complete washouts on Highway 151 and closures on Highway 160 while crews plan temporary repairs, and towns in the San Juan River country have been left isolated by the damage.

The flooding damaged wastewater plants on the Navajo Nation and sent sewage into the San Juan River. Health officials warned people to stay out of the water. Officials have confirmed one flood related death in Santa Fe.

The National Weather Service office in Pueblo kept a flood warning on the Rio Grande at Alamosa, where the river stood at 9.9 feet early on Monday against a flood stage of 9.0 feet, as of October 26. Forecasters expected a crest near 10.0 feet before the river falls below flood stage on Tuesday. "Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," the Pueblo office warned. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas."

Monday's warnings follow a weekend of evacuations along the San Juan River in Utah and northwestern New Mexico, where Navajo crews moved residents out of Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Aneth and bridges over the river stayed closed. Relief agencies have opened shelters and started damage assessments, and officials warn that more rain on saturated ground could push the same rivers up again and stretch the recovery over weeks.