Nearly 100 school children trapped by deadly Colorado floods are airlifted to safety after two days trapped by rising waters as terrible toll of the tragedy rises to six dead and more than 700 missing
- Almost 100 children and teachers left stranded by flash flooding near to Boulder, Colorado, rescued in dramatic airlift
- Heavy rains that started Wednesday sparked flash-flooding from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs
- Residents urged to leave now or risk being stranded for weeks without water or power
- The National Weather service says there has been over 12 inches of rainfall since September 1, breaking the 73-year-old record for the month
- Surging floodwaters in Boulder led to the evacuation of about 4,000 residents late Thursday
- President Obama has approved a federal disaster assistance request for the area and National Guard have been dispatched
By
Daily Mail Reporter and Ryan Gorman
|
Almost 100 school school children and
teachers left stranded for two days by the massive flooding that hit
around Boulder, Colorado were airlifted to safety on Saturday as the
number of presumed dead rose to six - with over 700 more missing.
The
students from Fireside Elementary School in Louisville, Colorado -
around 10 miles to the southeast of Boulder - were trapped when
flood-waters burst over roads at an outdoor education center in
Jamestown.
The 85 fifth
graders and 14 adults were lifted from the mountainside by helicopter
and taken to Boulder Municipal Airport where they were loaded onto buses
and reunited with their emotional parents at Fireside Elementary on
Saturday evening.
Safe: Bonnie Dannelly hugs her daughter Makayla
after she got off the bus at Fireside Elementary in Louisville, on
Saturday. Makayla Dannelly was one of over 80 Fireside 5th graders who
were trapped above Jamestown at Camp Cal-Wood
Military Operation: A handout aerial image
released by the US Army on 15 September 2013 shows 2nd General Support
Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division,
soldiers evacuating fifth-grade students from Firewood Elementary
'All the kids are down from the mountains and either delivered here or en route,' said Briggs Gamblin, a spokesman for the Boulder Valley School District.
Despite being trapped by the rising flood-waters, the children ate tacos with all the fixings for dinner on Friday evening and were kept occupied by a dance party.
'Last night around 5 o'clock we got a request from the National Guard for assistance,' said Major Earl Brown, deputy public affairs officer for the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.
In total, seven helicopters, including four Blackhawks, were used to airlift the children and adults out of the area.
Pulled to Safety: The 4th Combat Aviation
Brigade was able to assist state and local emergency response efforts
under the Immediate Response Authority
Rescued: Families cheer as a bus carrying
several Fireside Elementary 5th graders who were trapped at Camp-Calwood
arrive to school in Louisville, Colorado on September 14, 2013
'We're just a part of a whole team effort to help those folks out there in Boulder County,' said Brown to NBC News.
As rain continued to fall on Sunday in Colorado, efforts to search for the missing were hampered as the National Guard grounded all helicopters in the state.
'It's unlikely at this point that we'll be able to reach those who are stranded in the hard-to-reach areas,' said Kim Kobel, a spokesperson for Boulder's Office of Emergency Management to CNN.
Governor John Hickenlooper, told CNN on Sunday morning that he hopes many of the missing are simply out of reach of communications and have 'already gotten out or are staying with friends.'
'But,' he added, 'we're still bracing. I mean, there are many, many homes that have been destroyed.'
An aerial view of mobile homes submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado September 14, 2013
A section of highway is washed out by flooding
along the South Platte River in Weld County, Colorado near Greeley,
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013
Lucky: Jon Tarkington with his daughter Evy, 1,
look over a diversion dam built in the intersection of 7th Street and
University Ave on University Hill in Boulder, Colorado on Saturday
Result: A farm house is surrounded by water from
flooding on the South Platte River near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday,
Sept. 15, 2013
Crossroads: As heavy rains return after somewhat
abating for two days, a field fills with water from overflowing creeks
nearby, outside Longmont, Colorado on Sunday Sept. 15, 2013
Frantic: Dean Beacom works to save his home from
a flash flood near 19th Street and Upland Avenue, Sunday, Sept. 15,
2013 as Steve Gabel (left) and Patrick Muir move a soaked couch out from
Muir's apartment
Justin Slyter with Par Electrical Contractors
looks over fallen power poles in a office complex on Arapahoe Avenue
next to Eben G Fine Park in Boulder on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013
Sheriff Justin Smith visited areas 'somewhat cut off from the rest of the world,' he said.
Smith cautioned that the death toll from the disaster would almost certainly rise and that it may already be as high as six.
The four confirmed deaths so far include those of a man and a woman, both 19, who were swept away after leaving their car Thursday in Boulder County.
Another person was found in a collapsed home in Jamestown and rescuers found a body on a roadway in Colorado Springs.
The fourth person who has been confirmed as a victim of the flooding is a 60-year-old woman who was witnessed being swept away by water that had leveled her home.
Damage: A car lies on its side in a mud slide on
Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colo. Rescuers
rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded by
epic mountain flooding
Swept away: A large chunk of road near Greenley, Colorado, has been demolished by the flood
Torn: Evan Russack with his son Trevor, 6, look
over Pennsylvania Ave on University Hill which was cut in two by
flooding on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013
Collapsed: Lefthand Canyon Road near the
intersection of Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Sept.
14, in Boulder. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate
Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding
To date, four people are thought to have died as a result of the flood-waters which have swept through Boulder after days of rain.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that it is still tracking flood-waters on Saturday and the Boulder Office of Emergency Management told residents on Twitter not to drive through water.
'We are assuming there may be further loss of life and injuries,' Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said on Saturday.
'Given the devastation on some of those canyons, it's definitely a high probability.'
Colorado residents are bracing themselves for further flooding and devastation, with more storms due to hit on Sunday.
Relief: Brian Montgomery helps his mother
Barbara Yanari to clean up the mud in her flooded basement on Saturday,
Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colorado
Escape: Anita and Art Powner evacuate with their
dogs Zypher and Lexus on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in
Boulder. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate
Coloradoans stranded
More than 500 people are missing and at least four people have died, with another victim believed to be dead, after flash floods.
Many residents are still stranded in their homes as rescue workers try to reach them. Boulder county officials fear rescue attempts will be hampered by the extra 4in of rain due on Sunday.
Rescue teams are warning people in some Colorado towns isolated by devastating flooding against remaining there, telling them that they could face weeks without basic supplies, including running water and electricity.
Helicopters and truck convoys of the National Guard carried the admonition Saturday into paralyzed canyon communities where thousands of stranded residents were eager to escape the Rocky Mountain foothills. But not everybody was willing to go. Dozens of people in hard hit Jamestown wanted to stay to watch over their homes.
Authorities made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while. Rescuers won't go back for people who insist on staying, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said.
'We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,' Pelle said.
Aerial: Photographs shows the damage and
flooding to infrastructure destroyed by heavy rains, with some areas
receiving as much as 18 inches in a 24-hour period, in Boulder, Colorado
Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday
Special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, was torn about leaving his Jamestown home.
'I was thinking about staying. I could have lasted at least a year. I have a lot of training in wilderness survival,' he said, adding that he probably had enough beer to last the whole time.
As he sat outside a makeshift shelter at a high school, Shultz floated the idea of walking back into the funky mountain town.
'If we hike back, I would stay there and just live. I'd rather be at our own house than staying at some other people's houses,' he said.
His wife, Meagan Harrington, gave him a wry smile. About 10 of their neighbors declined to evacuate, she said.
'They said they wouldn't force you, but it was strongly encouraged,' she said.
Shultz teared up behind his sunglasses as he compared his situation to that of his neighbors.
Eroded: A handout aerial image released by
the US Army on 15 September 2013 shows damage and flooding to
infrastructure destroyed by heavy rains, with some areas receiving as
much as 18 inches in a 24-hour period
'At
least all of our stuff's there and will be there when we get back. The
people right by the river, their houses were washed away. Other people
thought their houses were going to be OK, and then they started to go.
It's just really devastating.'Across the foothills, rescuers made progress against the floodwaters. But they were still unable to go up many narrow canyon roads that were either underwater or washed out.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration and ordered federal aid for Colorado. The White House said in a statement Saturday night that the action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Boulder County. The government said that other counties could be added later.
Te city of Longmont ordered a curfew from 10 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday in flood zones and evacuation areas, urging residents to remain indoors.
On Saturday, the surge of water reached the plains east of the mountains, cutting off more communities and diverting some rescue operations.
Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover portions of an area nearly the size of Connecticut.
Destroyed: Cars lie wrecked by raging flood-waters near to Boulder, Colorado after days of heavy rain in the state
Some of those who are unaccounted for may be stranded or injured. Others might have gotten out but not yet contacted friends and relatives, officials said.
Police expected to find more bodies as the full scope of damage emerges.
A woman was missing and presumed dead after witnesses saw floodwaters from the Big Thompson River destroy her home in the Cedar Cove area, Larimer County sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said.
'I expect that we're going to continue to receive reports of confirmed missing and confirmed fatalities throughout the next several days,' he said.
Two fatalities were identified by the Boulder County coroner Saturday as Wesley Quinlan and Wiyanna Nelson, both 19.
Authorities believe the couple died when they were swept away after driving into floodwaters and then leaving their vehicle. Their cause of death is under investigation.
The military put more troops on the ground and helicopters in the air to aid in the search-and-rescue effort.
By Saturday night, 1,750 people and 300 pets had been evacuated from Boulder and Larimer County, National Guard Lt. James Goff said.
The airlifts will continue Sunday with helicopter crews expanding their searches east to include Longmont, Fort Collins and Weld County.
It was not clear how many people were still stranded.
Demolished: The walls of this home have been washed away on South Platte River
A helicopter taking Gov. John Hickenlooper on a tour of the flooded areas even got in the act, stopping twice to pick up six stranded people and their two pets. Terry Kishiyama's son flagged down a helicopter with his shirt after a three-day wait for rescue from a neighbor's house on higher ground.
'You could hear the choppers for miles and miles, but I didn't know if they were evacuating people. You see a chopper going down behind a ridge, and you have no clue,' Kishiyama said.
In addition to his son's efforts, Kishiyama said his wife shouted at the chopper, 'We have babies!'
More than 85 fifth-graders from Louisville were greeted by their parents and friends Saturday after they were rescued from an outdoor education center near Jamestown.
Above Larimer County, rescue crews airlifted 475 people to safety and planned to resume helicopter searches on Sunday, weather permitting.
Rain was expected to start up again in the mountains and foothills, with between a half-inch and 2 inches forecast to fall overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
Crews also used inflatable boats to pick up families and pets from farmhouses on Saturday. Some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safe ground.
Near Greeley, 35 miles east of the foothills, broad swaths of farmland had become lakes, and the raging South Platte and Poudre rivers surrounded more homes.
In one Boulder neighborhood, residents turned back city crews and machinery that arrived to remove the makeshift berms and sand-filled trash bags protecting their homes. University of Colorado students helped homeowners improvise a way to divert the rising water from Gregory Creek.
'The residents know better than anybody else how the water flows through the neighborhood,' said Colleen Scanlan Lyons.
In communities where floodwaters began receding, homeowners had a chance to assess damage.
In Laporte, Wendy Clark surveyed soggy carpets and furniture that got damaged by the Poudre River.
'This mud smells disgusting,' she said. 'I don't know how long that's going to be around.'
Wrecked: Only the roof of a Jamestown house remains after flash floods ripped through the town
Cut off: A farm house is completely surrounded by rising water
Evacuation: Residents have been told if they don't leave they risk being cut off for two weeks
Authorities who still haven't reached all the stranded victims of floods in northeastern Colorado are bracing for a new round of storms on Sunday.
Authorities who still haven't reached all the stranded victims of floods in northeastern Colorado are bracing for a new round of storms on Sunday.
County transportation director George Gerstle told CNN the repair bill is likely to be 10 to 15 the annual budget.
A sheriff's office spokesman said hundreds of people were unaccounted for, but added that some residents may have reached safety but not been able to contact relatives to tell them.
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said authorities had to be 'realistic' about the chances that the death toll will rise.
With the rain never seeming to end and the waters continuing to rise, more than 4,000 people near Boulder, Colorado, have been evacuated as nearby Milliken has been surrounded by water and turned into an island, according to reports.
The reality of what is becoming a long-term disaster is setting in, flooding has affected parts of a 4,500-square-mile area almost the size of Connecticut.
An aerial view of vehicles submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado
Underwater: The small farming town of Milliken,
CO, has been surrounded by waters that first turned it into an island,
but are now inundating homes
Runaway homes: Trailer homes are floating off their foundations as rushing waters sweep them away
Not just homes: Farms and farm equipment are also being destroyed by the treacherous waters
Unprecedented: The 12 inches of rain recorded since Sept 1 has set an all-time record for the month, and even more is on the way
In
the most recent developments, people are stranded in Milliken after the
main road out of town was washed away by raging floodwaters, according to CBS Denver. As the devastating rapids rise, they wash away more of the road, and flood ever closer to even more homes.
'The fire department said Milliken is an island but I found a way out,' Jorge Garza told the station.
A CBS Denver helicopter flying over the town spotted a family of three and their dog being rescued from menacing waters via a motorized raft. '[Milliken] has turned into a lake with campers, fields and cars submerged,' the station further reported.
172 people are unaccounted for, Boulder County officials told KDVR.
As rescuers broke through to flood-ravaged Colorado towns, they issued a stern warning Saturday to anyone thinking of staying behind: Leave now or be prepared to endure weeks without electricity, running water and basic supplies.
Authorities made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while.
'We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,' Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said.
Special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, was torn about leaving his Jamestown home.
'I was thinking about staying. I could have lasted at least a year. I have a lot of training in wilderness survival,' he said, adding that he probably had enough beer to last the whole time.
Another one to two inches of rain is expected to fall between Saturday night and Sunday, which will only add to the problems.
National Guard choppers have been evacuating the Jamestown, of about 295 people - plus pets - after the mountain hamlet became isolated by flooding.
Mike Smith, incident commander at Boulder Municipal Airport, said helicopters would continue flying in and out late into the night.
The outlook for anyone who'd rather stay is weeks without power, cell phone service, water or sewer.
For those awaiting an airlift, Guardsmen dropped food, water and other supplies in Jamestown and other small towns in the winding, narrow canyons that dot the Rocky Mountain foothills.
Thousands of evacuees sought shelter in cities that were nearly surrounded by raging rivers spilling over their banks.
The dayslong rush of water from higher ground has killed four people and turned towns on Colorado's expansive eastern plains into muddy swamps.
Crews used inflatable boats to rescue families and pets from stranded farmhouses. Some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safe ground.
Boulder County officials said Friday night that the number of people unaccounted for had risen to 172, according to local television and newspaper reports.
'I expect that we're going to continue to receive reports of confirmed missing and confirmed fatalities throughout the next several days,' Larimer County sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said.
'The fire department said Milliken is an island but I found a way out,' Jorge Garza told the station.
A CBS Denver helicopter flying over the town spotted a family of three and their dog being rescued from menacing waters via a motorized raft. '[Milliken] has turned into a lake with campers, fields and cars submerged,' the station further reported.
172 people are unaccounted for, Boulder County officials told KDVR.
Sludge: Brian Montgomery wades through thick mud in the basement of his mother's home
Deserted: Residents are being taken to evacuation centers amid reports of more storms
Access: Heavy equipment is used to try to clear debris from a road covered in 20ft banks of mud
Damage: An estimated $150 million of repair work will be needed to fix roads and bridges that have been washed away
As rescuers broke through to flood-ravaged Colorado towns, they issued a stern warning Saturday to anyone thinking of staying behind: Leave now or be prepared to endure weeks without electricity, running water and basic supplies.
Authorities made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while.
'We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,' Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said.
Cut off: A farm house has been turned into an island as flood water rises near Greenley, Colorado
By land: The Army National Guard has brought in heavy equipment meant to assist in the rescue of trapped residents
Or by sea: Officials are also using motorboats to help save trapped people
Shocked: Residents are shell-shocked, many have lost everything, as a result of the historic floods
Waterlogged: Cattle brave the fierce waters on higher ground as everything around them is swept away
Special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, was torn about leaving his Jamestown home.
'I was thinking about staying. I could have lasted at least a year. I have a lot of training in wilderness survival,' he said, adding that he probably had enough beer to last the whole time.
Another one to two inches of rain is expected to fall between Saturday night and Sunday, which will only add to the problems.
National Guard choppers have been evacuating the Jamestown, of about 295 people - plus pets - after the mountain hamlet became isolated by flooding.
Mike Smith, incident commander at Boulder Municipal Airport, said helicopters would continue flying in and out late into the night.
The outlook for anyone who'd rather stay is weeks without power, cell phone service, water or sewer.
For those awaiting an airlift, Guardsmen dropped food, water and other supplies in Jamestown and other small towns in the winding, narrow canyons that dot the Rocky Mountain foothills.
Swamped: A railway track in Longmont is lost under floodwater
Ruined: Trailer homes have been washed away in the water
The surge: Flash-flooding continues in the Boulder-area of Colorado after three days of record-breaking rainfall
Overflowing: The heavy rains have impacted a
large stretch of Colorado from Fort Collins near the northern border
with Wyoming, all the way to Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs more
than 100 miles south
Geysers of sewage: A Sewer in Manitou Springs is overwhelmed by rainfall yesterday, gurgling the overflow of water
Thousands of evacuees sought shelter in cities that were nearly surrounded by raging rivers spilling over their banks.
The dayslong rush of water from higher ground has killed four people and turned towns on Colorado's expansive eastern plains into muddy swamps.
Crews used inflatable boats to rescue families and pets from stranded farmhouses. Some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safe ground.
Boulder County officials said Friday night that the number of people unaccounted for had risen to 172, according to local television and newspaper reports.
'I expect that we're going to continue to receive reports of confirmed missing and confirmed fatalities throughout the next several days,' Larimer County sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said.
Record-breaking: Over 12 inches of rain has
fallen since September 1, which shatters the previous record set in the
1940s of 5.5 inches
View from above: Satellite imaging shows the
storm system that swept over the eastern Colorado area on September 11,
starting flash-floods that have killed three so far
Flee: The floods have displaced thousands of
human residents, but also the wildlife in Colorado. Above, a deer jumps
over a sidewalk in a flood-damaged area of Boulder
The officials said earlier that the unaccounted for figure doesn't necessarily represent missing people.
Near Greeley, some 35 miles east of the foothills, broad swaths of farmland had become lakes, and hundreds of roads were closed or damaged by floodwaters. A 70-mile stretch of Interstate 25 was closed from Denver to the Wyoming line.
Rocky Mountain National Park closed Friday, its visitors forced to leave via the 60-mile Trail Ridge Road to the west side of the Rockies.
It will be weeks, if not months, before a semblance of normalcy returns to Lyons, a gateway community to the park. The town, surrounded by sandstone cliffs whose color was reflected in the raging St. Vrain River, consisted of six islands Friday as residents barbecued their food before it spoiled. Several people set up a tent camp on a hill.
Some 2,500 residents were being evacuated from Lyons. Two bridges that led into the area were washed away.
'Wall of water': Around midnight, officials said they were monitoring a wall of water headed toward the area of Emerson Gulch
Churning: Boulder Creek is overflowing and threatening the city of Boulder, which it runs right through
Swept away: The 30-foot wall of water was caused when a drainage gulch burst and swept up debris and vehicles in it's path
Won't stop: Rain continued to fall in Colorado today, only adding to the already dangerous flash-flooding
Stream: Water spills over a hillside home at the base of Boulder Canyon today
Emergency situation: The National Guard has been dispatched to help rescue people stranded in their homes
Boulder Creek, which runs through the heart of the city, became a raging torrent that burst its banks and flooded adjacent parking lots and streets as warning sirens wailed.
Officials in Boulder announced just before midnight Thursday that they were tracking a large 'wall of water, containing debris and vehicles' headed towards Emerson Gulch from the Fourmile burn area.
The Denver Post reported that the 30-foot wall of water was caused by a drainage gulch that burst and released a large amount of water which swept up debris and vehicles in it's path.
Other towns nestled along the Front Range of the Rockies north of Denver were also hard hit.
In Longmont about 14 miles northeast of Boulder, the St Vrain River jumped its banks, cascading across main thoroughfares and making travel across the city impossible overnight.
Exploring: Umbrella-toting residents take pictures of the damage the flooding had on a street in Boulder on Friday
Home invasion: A couple returns to find their home Friday to find it water-damaged from the previous days floods
Survivor: So far, officials have announced three
deaths related to the flooding. Above, a man is rescued by emergency
workers after he spent the night trapped on high ground above his home
Battling the storm: A man in Boulder attempts to make a mud barrier to protect his house from the flooding
Boots are no use: Homeowner Hannah Hinseth returns to her home to survey the damage caused by the severe flooding
Street sweepers: Residents shovel debris to form a protective dike in a neighborhood of Boulder
'Our city is completely divided,' by the floodwaters, assistant city manager Shawn Lewis told Reuters.
Lewis said 7,000 households were under mandatory evacuation orders. The city opened two emergency shelters for displaced residents.
President Barack Obama approved a federal disaster assistance request, which will release funds to help with emergency protection, Governor John Hickenlooper's office said late on Thursday.
National Guard troops were dispatched with emergency supplies to the remote town of Lyons, north of Boulder, which was virtually cut off from surrounding areas when floodwaters washed out U.S. Route 36, county officials said.
Cut-off: Towns like Magnolia, above, have been completely shut off after the raging waters washed out roads
Waiting for rescue: All road access to the town
of Lyons, Colorado was cut-off and National Guard troops have been
dispatched to bring residents emergency supplies. Above a wiped out road
near the base of Boulder Canyon
Baby's first flood: A young family take a walk on Friday to survey the damage in their Boulder neighborhood
A river runs through it: Lefthand Creek runs down a neighborhood street in Longmont, Colorado Friday
Clean-up: Today, a farmer is seen clearing debris from railroad tracks in Longmont, Colorado
Back at last: Evelyn Mortiz carries her luggage
barefoot back home after spending the night with friends during the
mandatory evacuation in her area
A dozen major roads in northeastern Colorado remained shut with significant damage from flooding, mudslides, rockfalls and other debris, the Colorado Department of Transportation said late on Thursday.
Heavy summer rains are not unusual for Colorado, but the intensity and duration of the downpour that began on Monday night was unprecedented.
The National Weather Service said at least 12.3 inches of rain have fallen on Boulder since September 1, smashing a 73-year-old record of 5.5 inches for the month.
Cleaning house: Lucas Calderon-Griek uses a broom to sweep out the water from his home in Upland
Aid: Colorado National Guardsmen help relocate a family trapped at their heavily-flooded home
Record-breaking: The former record for rainfall
during the month of September was 5.5 inches. That's been shattered
already with the National Weather Service saying that 12.3 inches have
fallen
Wreckage: A man cleans up Canon Avenue after a flash flood burst a manhole and sent water rushing down the streets of Manitou
Pop-up pool: A couple play in the flooded Utah Park in Aurora, Colorado yesterday
Back to work: Men at Namaste Solar are pictured clearing debris off of their work site today in Boulder
One body was found in a collapsed building near Jamestown, an evacuated enclave north of Boulder.
A couple were swept away in floodwaters after stopping their car northwest of the city. The man's body was recovered but the woman was missing and feared dead, said Commander Heidi Prentup of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
The body of a third confirmed fatality, a 54-year-old man, was found by police on flood-watch patrols in a Colorado Springs creek, about 100 miles to the south, officials said.
On Friday, a woman who had been swept away was found dead near Boulder, raising the death toll to four.
Nearly 150 people were killed near Boulder in 1976 by a flash flood along the Big Thompson Canyon.
Out of control: The heavy rainfalls have turned Boulder Creek into a raging river with enough power to wash out roads
Ominous: Clouds cover the Denver skyline early this morning. It continues to rain in the area
Up in the air: A Rocky Mountain Rescue Team prepares to depart in a National Guard piloted helicopter
Swamped: A National Guard vehicle drives through a flooded area in Boulder County Thursday as rain continued to pour
Pup saved! This family's poodle couldn't be left behind
Distractions: Carolyn Hornung, distracted by her
phone, casually stands in flowing water outside her house in Boulder,
Colorado Friday
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2420741/Colorado-floods-6-dead-700-missing-Nearly-100-trapped-school-children-airlifted-safety.html#ixzz2f4okP5bD
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