Southwest Colorado flood survivors turn to community volunteers, residents search for long-term solutions

In Durango's Junction Creek neighborhood, the rushing water swept through yards and damaged homes, leaving behind mud, rocks, and debris.

"Three to four feet of just water rushing straight to the house. Trees, debris, rock," said Keaton Buiso, whose parents live in the neighborhood.

Buiso says he was out of town when the flooding hit, but when he came back, he couldn't get to his parents. He says he was stranded for days as floodwaters blocked the roads in and out of their community.

"They still had Junction Creek blocked. You couldn't get in or out," he said.

Buiso knew that once access was restored, his parents and their neighbors would need help digging out. So he turned to social media, asking for support.

"Made that post and within 10 minutes, I'm getting an excavator. I'll have it there in an hour," Buiso said.

He added that one neighbor's son brought a dump truck, a mini excavator and a skid steer, as family, friends and complete strangers showed up to volunteer.

For days, volunteers worked side by side, clearing debris, moving mud and trying to redirect the water to protect homes and restore access to the neighborhood.

"It almost kind of wanted to bring you to tears," Buiso said. "We all put our heads down, we ground, and just did everything we possibly could each and every day to get a step forward, to get us a road, get us blocking the river or the creek."

The effort quickly grew beyond helping Buiso's parents. He said volunteers worked to protect and clear out about a dozen homes throughout the neighborhood.

At one point, Buiso was in the creek helping redirect the water when he said his father called, asking him to come back to their home.

"I was like, 'This is bigger than you.' And he's like, 'I know,'" Buiso recalled.

He said the response became a neighborhood-wide effort, with people stepping in wherever they were needed.

"It was a community army coming together to, you know, to help everybody out," he said.

After a week of volunteers putting in 12-hour days, Buiso said the work has made a difference. But the neighborhood is still facing questions about what comes next for a long-term solution.

"We need answers. We need some sort of state money or FEMA or government or something, anything," Buiso said. "I never thought I would ever experience this kind of situation... I grew up in that neighborhood, and it does not look the same anymore."

Buiso says he knows the community will come together, but needs more support from outside officials. CBS Colorado reached out to La Plata County officials Sunday evening but did not immediately hear back.