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| Colorado floods | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 13 Sep 2013, 02:02 AM (149 Views) | |
| skibboy | 13 Sep 2013, 02:02 AM Post #1 |
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12 September 2013 Colorado flash floods kill three people in Boulder area ![]() A man was trapped in his upturned car, which was partially submerged Flooding from a storm in Colorado has killed three people and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of homes. Many roads are closed because of high water and debris, preventing rescue crews from reaching the stranded. Up to 7in (17cm) of rain fell in three hours in the Boulder area on Thursday morning, the third day of rain. Residents in multiple towns across the state have been ordered evacuate as to floodwaters rise. Further heavy rainfall is expected on Thursday. Governor John Hickenlooper told local radio on Thursday there had been "a staggering amount" of rainfall. "Given the drought situation we've had, it was almost a year's worth of rain," he said on radio channel KBCO. 'Weird storm' Emergency officials have reported three deaths: one in Colorado Springs; one when a structure collapsed in Jamestown; and another in Boulder. A 20ft (6m) wall of water was reported in Left Hand Canyon, north of Boulder, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Kleyla. Rescuers in the area were trying to get through debris to reach a firefighter who climbed a tree to escape the water, according to US media reports. Two areas south-east of the town of Estes Park have been ordered to evacuate after an earthen dam gave way in the area. ![]() A home and car are stranded after a flash flood in Coal Creek destroyed the bridge near Golden, Colorado 12 September 2013 Some 400 students at University of Colorado, Boulder, were evacuated and classes were cancelled on Thursday because of the flooding. Mandatory evacuations have also been ordered for the Jamestown and Fourmile areas, and parts of the towns of Longmont and Loveland Colorado State Patrol Captain John Burt said damage was being reported across several counties, including Boulder, Larimer and Jefferson, north-west of Denver, and in El Paso County around Colorado Springs. Almost all roads to Boulder had been blocked or flooded, according to the Denver Post. The town of Lyons has been completely cut off and residents are staying on higher ground. Those living in Lyons are being told to only drink bottled or boiled water because of a possible breach of the town's water system. Standing water on a road caused some traffic delays into Denver International Airport, but not to flights. Officials told NBC that water reached as high as first-floor windows in some parts of Boulder, while cars were seen floating in the streets. An emergency bulletin from Adams County, east of Denver, warned residents: "Stay away or be swept away." Boulder emergency management spokeswoman Gabrielle Boerkircher told AFP news agency the rainfall had been unusual not only for the amount of rain but for how the storm was behaving. "It's been a weird storm," she said, adding it had been "turning back around on itself all night". Source:
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| skibboy | 14 Sep 2013, 01:37 AM Post #2 |
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14 September 2013 Colorado flooding death toll rises as thousands warned to evacuate ![]() Footage shows the rescue of a man who survived in an air pocket after his car was submerged The death toll from severe flooding in the US state of Colorado has risen to four, as authorities warn thousands to evacuate Boulder and outlying areas. The body of an unidentified Boulder woman was found after she was swept away from her submerged vehicle on Thursday, authorities say. A man in the same vehicle was also killed attempting to help her, according to media reports. As many as 80 people remain unaccounted for, officials say. Days of heavy rain have caused severe damage to property and forced the rescue of more than 2,500 people, Boulder County authorities have said. All Boulder County administrative officers were closed on Friday as rainfall was expected to continue overnight. More than 15in (38cm) of rain - nearly half the region's annual average - has fallen in a single week, according to the National Weather Service. President Barack Obama has signed an emergency order approving federal disaster aid for Boulder County. Towns such as Jamestown, Lyons and Longmont are said to have been reduced to islands by the swirling floodwaters. 'Biblical' Officials set up road blocks to prevent some residents fleeing in their vehicles over submerged or debris-strewn roads. The raging torrent - dubbed a "100-year flood" by officials - has prevented rescue crews from reach communities stranded downstream. ![]() Lyons resident Howard Wachtel joked to the Associated Press news agency: "This is more like something out of the Bible. I saw one of my neighbours building an ark." Some 4,000 people living along Boulder Creek were sent notices warning them to move to higher ground late on Thursday, reported Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper. Another 500 inhabitants of Eldorado Springs were urged to leave due to a threat from South Boulder Creek, an official told the Associated Press early on Friday. Low-lying areas beyond the Rocky Mountains were also at risk, with up to 3,000 people already ordered to leave the Commerce City district of Denver. Police in the city reported on Twitter a man was pulled by the water into a drainage pipe with his dog. Both were rescued alive two blocks away. 'Mud, muck, debris' Governor John Hickenlooper told local radio there had been "a staggering amount" of rainfall. ![]() Floodwaters erupt out of a sewer on Canon Avenue in Manitou Springs, Colorado, on Thursday "Given the drought situation we've had, it was almost a year's worth of rain," he said on the KBCO radio station. "There is water everywhere," Andrew Barth, emergency management spokesman in Boulder County, told Reuters news agency. "We've had several structural collapses. There's mud and muck and debris everywhere. Cars are stranded all over the place." National Guard troops have reportedly been dispatched north of Boulder to the cut-off town of Lyons, which is said to be without fresh water, power or phone lines. Lyons resident Jason Stillman and his fiancee were forced to flee their home when a nearby river began to overflow into the street. "There's no way out of town. There's no way into town. So, basically, now we're just on an island," he told USA Today. ![]() Governor John Hickenlooper says that the evacuations are the main priority. Part of US highway 36 was closed after it was washed out, and Colorado officials shut Interstate 25 north of Denver all the way to the Wyoming border. A 20ft (6m) wall of water was reported in Left Hand Canyon, north of Boulder, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Kleyla. The prolonged rain has been blamed on a low-pressure weather system hovering over Nevada which is drawing moist air out of Mexico into the Rockies' foothills. Source:
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| Audi-Tek | 14 Sep 2013, 01:01 PM Post #3 |
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Colorado flooding amazing video Heavy rains cause flash flooding Dramatic scenes are emerging from Colorado this morning as flash floods, already responsible for the deaths of four people, intensity. Low pressure has become stationary over the state and this has been feeding waves along a frontal system, producing hours of heavy rain. The flood water is littered with debris and officials in the area are stressing the moor trance of not entering the flood water as even a small depth can contain enough debris to sweep people away. Many dramatic rescues have already taken place from cars and buildings. ![]() Link ............... http://www.weatherweb.net/wxwebtvsimonnew.php?ID=841 |
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| skibboy | 14 Sep 2013, 11:11 PM Post #4 |
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14 SEPTEMBER 2013 Death toll in Colorado floods rises to four ![]() A boy is pulled by his dog down Ninth Street alongside North Boulder Park September 12, 2013 in Boulder, Colorado. ![]() Local residents take a close up view of a damaged bridge on Weld County Road 1 on September 13, 2013 in Longmont, Colorado. AFP - At least four people are now confirmed dead in massive floods in Colorado, which are forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as cutting roads in large parts of the western US state. Some 80 people are also unaccounted for in Boulder County, the hardest hit by "biblical" flash floods which appear set to last for "several days," according to forecasters. President Barack Obama has signed an Emergency Declaration for the state, and ordered federal aid and resources to bolster state and local efforts. The death toll rose by one Friday, making a toll of three confirmed dead in Boulder County, and one body in Colorado Springs further to the south. "Many communities in our western mountains are completely isolated, no water, no septic, no sewer, we lost every roadway leading to western end of our county," said Boulder County's Office of Emergency Management in a Friday afternoon update. "We don't yet know fully about homes and lives lost in canyons and mountain communities. This will go on for several days," it added. TV pictures from the devastated region showed roads crumbled into surging rivers, as mud- and debris-filled water poured down from mountainsides along Colorado's so-called Front Range, a north-sound region where the Rockies meet the Great Plains. Several mountain towns and villages near Boulder were cut off temporarily by the floods, including Jamestown and Lyons, where as many as 2,500 people were being evacuated. Four helicopters, including three Black Hawk choppers, are being used to ferry rescue personnel and supplies to stranded communities and carry out medical evacuations in the area, where emergency crews are "heavily dependent on air ops due to road conditions." The "weather has given us a break to do a lot of flights," it said, adding that some flood waters are receding. But it added: "We have more rain in the forecast; a storm tonight could set us back." "These communities have all suffered long-term losses. This is going to take a while," it said, adding that recover efforts would be "long-term and very expensive." Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper warned that surging waters can be more treacherous than they appear, because they are full of debris and mud. "People try to walk through what looks like a harmless foot or two of water. You have to realize this is like liquid cement and you can be swept away," he said. Source:
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| skibboy | 15 Sep 2013, 11:01 PM Post #5 |
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15 SEPTEMBER 2013 Hundreds missing in Colorado floods ![]() A resident looks at his flooded home and property on September 14, 2013 in La Salle, Colorado. AFP - Hundreds of people were reportedly missing as floods devastated homes and businesses in Colorado, pushing the confirmed death toll to five and forcing thousands to evacuate. Flooding in Boulder, which is confirmed to have killed at least four people, apparently claimed the life of a fifth -- a 60-year-old woman swept away in the torrent. Larimer County Sheriff Department said on Twitter that the elderly woman was "missing presumed dead," after flood waters destroyed her house. Helicopters circled above submerged houses in a search of survivors Saturday, with the whereabouts of hundreds of people still unknown. Meanwhile, new flash floods were expected to inundate the area, as thousands evacuated. "We do estimate that potentially there will be other loss of life," said Nick Christensen, executive officer of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, during a Saturday afternoon press conference. Pictures from helicopter cameras showed heavy rain had reduced the towns of Jamestown, Lyons and Longmont to little more than islands, with ready-to-eat meals being dropped to stranded, anxious residents below. Search and rescue teams are being deployed to assess the situation and contact stranded residents, officials said. The US National Guard provided seven helicopters Saturday to help get people out of danger. Some 1,200 people were being pulled out of the Pinewood Springs area, the sheriff's office said in a statement. But many others are still awaiting pick up, and authorities said that rescue for some could take days. The Denver Post newspaper, citing the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, reported that the number of people who were unaccounted for had risen to 350 by Saturday afternoon, up from 230 earlier in the day. The newspaper cautioned, however, that those numbers were fluid because "some people who were unaccounted for have been able to finally make contact with friends or family." The figures had increased following more reports of missing persons being posted with the authorities. Christensen, however, declined to put a number on how many people were classified as unaccounted for. Source:
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| skibboy | 17 Sep 2013, 12:24 AM Post #6 |
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16 SEPTEMBER 2013 Death toll from Colorado floods rises to seven ![]() This US Army National Guard photo obtained September 16, 2013 shows Colorado National Guardsmen as they respond to floods in Boulder County on September 12, 2013. ![]() Debris gathers in the corner of a fence in front of a home on September 14, 2013 in La Salle, Colorado. AFP - The confirmed death toll from massive floods in the US state of Colorado has risen to seven, while hundreds more remain unaccounted for, officials said Monday. Helicopters resumed search and rescue missions, helped by clearer weather after days of torrential rain that has left over 1,500 homes destroyed and more than 17,000 damaged. Five teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are bolstering hundreds of state and local officers trying to reach hundreds of residents stranded by the floods, centered on Boulder County north of Denver. On Sunday, torrential rain prevented helicopters from taking off for most of the day as officials put the number of people unaccounted for at more than 1,200 across the western state. But on Monday there was even blue sky in places, allowing some 21 helicopters to take to the air. "We are hoping to take advantage of the weather today and get those rescue operations complete," spokeswoman Micki Trost of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management was quoted as saying by the Denver Post. Three people are confirmed dead in Boulder County, but the state-wide death toll now stands at seven, Boulder Office of Emergency Management official Nick Grossman told AFP. "Those are the numbers confirmed to us by FEMA," he said. Rain began pelting the western state early last week, with Boulder especially hard hit, seeing 7.2 inches (18.3 centimeters) of precipitation in about 15 hours starting Wednesday night. Flash floods have afflicted 15 counties down a 200-mile north-south section of the Front Range, where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management said. "We've got a heck of a lot of communities dealing with a heck of a lot of water," Jennifer Finch, a spokeswoman for Weld County northeast of Boulder, told Denver Channel 7 News on Sunday. On Sunday, traffic on Interstate 25, Colorado's main north-south thoroughfare just east of the mountain range, was brought to a halt by water covering two of the three southbound lanes, according to an AFP correspondent on the road. The number of people unaccounted for was put as high as 1,253 by the state emergency management office, although Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper put it at 500. Many of the missing may simply be unable to report their whereabouts, but Hickenlooper warned that the death toll may increase. "There are many, many homes that have been destroyed. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Colorado and ordered federal aid to support state and local efforts. Hickenlooper called the widespread flooding "a heck of a storm." Although skies were clearer Monday, weather forecasters warned that scattered storms could still dump up to an inch of rain in less than 30 minutes, according to KUSA-TV. Drier, warmer weather conditions are due to return to the battered state on Tuesday, lasting through to Thursday when there is a chance of showers through the region, it said. Source:
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| skibboy | 17 Sep 2013, 11:49 PM Post #7 |
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17 SEPTEMBER 2013 Death toll from Colorado floods rises to eight ![]() A US military vehicle lies on its side in a ditch after being washed away by flood waters on September 16, 2013 in Longmont, Colorado. AFP - The confirmed death toll from massive floods in the US state of Colorado has risen to eight, while more than 600 people remain unaccounted for, officials said early Tuesday. Helicopters resumed search and rescue missions, helped by clearer weather after days of torrential rain that has left over 1,500 homes destroyed and more than 17,000 damaged. Five teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are bolstering hundreds of state and local officers trying to reach hundreds of residents stranded by the floods, centered on Boulder County north of Denver. "We have a strong opportunity here, with FEMA's help, to come out of this whole situation with a stronger infrastructure," Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper told a press briefing. On Sunday, heavy rain prevented helicopters from taking off for most of the day as officials put the number of people unaccounted for at more than 1,200 across the western state. But on Monday there was even blue sky in some areas, allowing some 21 helicopters to take to the air. "We are hoping to take advantage of the weather today and get those rescue operations complete," spokeswoman Micki Trost of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management was quoted as saying by the Denver Post. In all seven people have died, including three in Boulder County, two in El Paso County and two missing presumed dead in Larimer County, said the Colorado Office of Emergency management (COEM) in its latest update. The number of people unaccounted for stood at 658 Monday it said, stressing however that that number was "approximate and changing," as rescue crews gained access to more places, and as stranded people got in touch with authorities to confirm they were alright. In all 11,700 people have been evacuated, the COEM said. A total of 17,994 residential structures have been damaged, and 1,502 destroyed. Many of the missing may simply be unable to report their whereabouts, but Hickenlooper warned that the death toll may increase. "There are many, many homes that have been destroyed," he said. Rain began pelting the western state early last week, with Boulder especially hard hit, seeing 7.2 inches (18.3 centimeters) of precipitation in about 15 hours starting Wednesday night. Flash floods have afflicted 15 counties down a 200-mile (320-kilometer) north-south section of the Front Range, where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management said. "We've got a heck of a lot of communities dealing with a heck of a lot of water," Jennifer Finch, a spokeswoman for Weld County northeast of Boulder, told Denver Channel 7 News on Sunday. On Sunday, traffic on Interstate 25, Colorado's main north-south thoroughfare just east of the mountain range, was brought to a halt by water covering two of the three southbound lanes, according to an AFP correspondent on the road. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Colorado and ordered federal aid to support state and local efforts. Hickenlooper called the widespread flooding "a heck of a storm." Although skies were clearer Monday, weather forecasters warned that scattered storms could still dump up to an inch of rain in less than 30 minutes, according to KUSA-TV. Drier, warmer weather conditions are due to return to the battered state on Tuesday, lasting through to Thursday when there is a chance of showers through the region, it said. Source:
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