RELENTLESS heavy rain has hit
Colorado for three consecutive days causing devastating flash
flooding. Shocking footage shows the ferocious flooding destroying homes as residents watched in dismay.
Thunderstorms dumped heavy rainfall along Colorado,
USA for days, triggering flash flooding and mudslides.
The floods have already claimed one life, killing a woman who became trapped in a flooded Englewood basement while she was cat-sitting for a friend.
Authorities said 32-year-old Rachael Marie Haber was found unresponsive in the basement, which was flooded up to the ceiling when police arrived.
She was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after.
The thunderstorms developed in eastern Colorado on Monday afternoon and combined with monsoon moisture to produce heavy rainfall and flash flooding, according to weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam. Almost two inches of rain fell in just 20 minutes near Colorado Springs late Monday afternoon.
Residents in low-lying areas of Manitou Springs in central Colorado were told to seek higher ground as water rose in area creeks and rivers.
In Teller County, a woman was rescued from her vehicle trapped in a flooded ditch, the county's emergency management tweeted Monday night.
Two people were rescued from stranded cars in Littleton in Arapahoe County after an intersection was flooded with runoff.
The NWS issued a flash flood warning at about 2.40pm (9.20pm BST) local time on Monday for El Paso County and parts of Teller Country for the storm.
It warned winds could gust up to 70mph and “golf ball sized hail” is possible.
Mike Daniels, a weather forecaster for local news KOAA 5, described the terrible conditions saying: “This is not a watch, this is the real deal.
“This is a very dangerous storm system.
“It could easily spin up a tornado with little warnings.
“If you are in the Crystola area right now, you need to practice your tornado safety.”
He added: “Be really careful, very dangerous situation.”
The Public Information Officer of the Teller County Sheriff's Office of Colorado also described the situation on Twitter “extremely dangerous” and “with flooding”.
The tweet reads: “Please stay home do not drive into any rushing water.”