Vehicles and homes destroyed in Colorado as flooding hits US southwest

Cars, RV's and homes were swept away and destroyed by floodwaters on Monday in Arboles, Colorado — as the phenomenon, stoked by warming Pacific waters, known as El Niño disrupted weather patterns.

Powerful downpours sent massive amounts of water surging over the usually dry landscape in parts of the US southwest, forcing hundreds to evacuate and keeping swift-water rescue teams busy.

The National Weather Service said Monday that isolated cloudbursts were still possible across the Four Corners region — where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet.

Dozens of people were rescued across the region, including some by helicopter.

Fueled by a natural warming cycle called El Niño, which warmed Pacific Ocean waters and pumped moisture into the air, rounds of October storms unleashed muddy floodwaters that gushed down dry creeks and triggered mandatory evacuation orders across the region.

(Source: AP)