Colorado activates its elite rescue task force as 'catastrophic' flash floods force thousands to flee across the US Southwest

Trapped motorists have been rescued from raging floodwaters in Arizona, while the spa town of Pagosa Springs in Colorado faces a dire warning as rivers continue to rise. Election Day polling arrangements have been disrupted across the Southwest, with some voting locations relocated. Colorado Task Force 1, the state's elite search-and-rescue unit, was activated within the last two hours to respond to the worst-affected communities in southwest Colorado.

Sedona, Arizona and Pagosa Springs, Colorado are among the hardest-hit towns, with roads cut off and businesses closed.

Officials have described the flooding as 'catastrophic', with emergency orders forcing widespread evacuations across multiple counties.

Thousands of sandbag volunteers were called in ahead of the worst of the floodwaters, but rising rivers overwhelmed preparations overnight.