One dead, 2 missing as flash flooding hits Colorado canyon
This screenshot from Google Maps indicates the approximate location of Black Hollow Road, where several homes were damaged or destroyed. Note the location of Fort Collins and Red Feather Lakes in the distance, as well as the town of Rustic, to see the approximate location of the Poudre Canyon.
One person was killed and two others were reported missing after flash flooding over the Cameron Peak burn scar in Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins on Tuesday evening, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said.
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said emergency responders were unable recover the person’s body Tuesday night and that operations would resume Wednesday morning.
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The search for two other people reported missing from the flood will continue Wednesday.
The flood caused “significant debris and damage in the area, caused by downed trees, damaged and destroyed homes,” Smith said in Facebook post.
Several structures along Black Hollow Road were damaged or destroyed, Smith said.
Some homes lost power during the flood, Poudre Valley REA, the region’s electric co-op, said. As many as 101 customers were without power Wednesday morning. The outage was expected to last multiple days, the co-op tweeted.
The sheriff’s office announced the first mandatory evacuation about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, telling residents to get to higher ground. The evacuation orders were lifted about 10:30 p.m.
A more than 30-mile stretch of Highway 14 from County Road 62 and Pingree Road to Cameron Pass through the Poudre Canyon campgrounds remained closed Wednesday while crews cleaned debris, the U.S. Forest Service tweeted.
There is no estimated time for when the highway will reopen, the Colorado Department of Transportation said.
The National Weather Service in Boulder has issued a flash flood watch from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday for the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome burn areas.
Slow-moving storms could produce heavy rainfall that could lead to more flash flooding.
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