Colorado flash flooding causes evacuations, closes U.S. 550, Red Mountain Pass

Katie Langford, The Denver Post on Jul 29, 2026

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Ouray County officials ordered evacuations near the Gold Mountain burn scar on Wednesday evening as flash floods hit the area, closing U.S. 550 and Red Mountain Pass in both directions.

People living near Ponderosa Village and Cutler Creek Drive between Ridgway and Ouray should evacuate if able to safely leave home, or climb to high ground, because of “active intense flooding,” county officials said.

“Extreme flooding is occurring in this area due to heavy rain the (Gold Mountain) burn scar,” the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook.

U.S. 550 is closed in both directions at Cutler Creek, 4 miles north of Ouray, because of the flooding, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. There is no estimated time of reopening and people should avoid the area and find alternate routes.

Red Mountain Pass is also closed in both directions between Ouray and Silverton because of “active flooding and severe road damage,” Ouray County officials said.

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