Colorado Congressmen continue bipartisan tour of Southwest Colorado flood damage

PAGOSA SPRINGS/DURANGO, Colo. In a Denver7 exclusive, we reporter Tyler Melito and photojournalist went along with Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Jeff Hurd as they flew from Alamosa to meet with officials in both Pagosa Springs and Durango.

Both congressmen shared their shock over the scope of the damage.

"This is not just numbers on a spreadsheet, these are families' lives, these are small businesses," Hurd, the Republican representative from Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, told Denver7's Melito.

While meeting with leaders in both communities, some key issues were made clear about what each town is facing and the help they need from both the state and federal level.

In Pagosa Springs, concerns over infrastructure was a big topic, specifically gravel roads that washed away. Other issues they are facing include sewage and wastewater systems being pushed to the brink, as well as allowing for the town's tourism industry to come back in full force.

Durango officials shared similar concerns regarding road infrastructure, sharing how a number of working class families who live in the community are unable to get to their homes due to road damage and flood waters still surrounding the buildings.

"This is our job: Is to fight for every every single family, every single small business, get them back online, help them to rebuild their lives again," Hurd said.

"One of the things we heard everywhere we went was the importance of getting these roads open again, and that's another piece of this that we've got to get done," added U.S. Sen. Bennet, a Democrat.

Both congressmen shared their mission for when they get back to Washington D.C.: Getting federal funding approved and quickly.

"Moments like this always are a reminder why we're one nation under God. It's so that we can get the FEMA money in a situation like this," shared Bennet.

Watch Melito's first part of this story in the video below:

"With the changing political composition of Congress, I think it it's going to present some opportunities to work with the White House and make sure that we present a case to the president and to OMB and the White House that this is truly a need that is valid," Hurd explained.

Despite not getting funding in Archuleta County and parts of SW Colorado in 2025, Hurd and Bennet expressed optimism funding in 2026 won't be denied by President Donald Trump, citing recent approved funding for disasters such as the Aspen Acres Fire.

"Everybody in this room knows there's been inconsistency, let's say that, from the White House on these matters, but Jeff [Hurd] is right, we've had some successes recently, and we're going to go back and push," said Bennet.

The congressmen adding their plan for improving infrastructure once funding gets approved.

"When we're talking about rebuilding these culverts, for example, looking at making maybe increasing the capacity by 20%, so the next time something happens, it's less likely that the the disaster will have the scope and scale that it does," Hurd said.

While communities across southwest Colorado are rebuilding and probably will be rebuilding for quite some time that doesn't mean visitors can't come by, Bennet said.

"They are going to be open for business," outlined Bennet. "They're going to want to have tourism there. They're going to want to have people coming back to the community. That's critically important to their economic prospects and their economic development."

As we reported on Thursday, the congressmen said they were planning on amending the Major Disaster Declaration Governor Jared Polis sent to the Trump administration to include Conejos County in addition to Archuleta and Rio Grande counties.

On Friday, Bennet and Hurd said they are hoping to have one large disaster declaration to include the entire region, but it will most likely end up being two separate funding requests to include the counties not in the original request.