

000 

WGUS75 KPUB 220504

FFSPUB



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO

1100 PM MDT SAT JUL 21 2007



COC015-220645-

CHAFFEE CO-

1100 PM MDT SAT JUL 21 2007



...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1245 AM MDT FOR

CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY...



AT 11 PM MDT...RADAR INDICATED THAT RAINFALL HAD JUST ABOUT ENDED 

OVER CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY.  HOWEVER...FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES 

CONTINUED ALONG ROADS 162 AND 292...NEAR ALPINE AND SAINT ELMO...IN 

CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY.  THIS AREA IS LOCATED ALONG CHALK CREEK... 

SOUTHWEST OF MOUNT PRINCETON...IN THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF NATHROP.



LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED SEVERE MUD SLIDES OVER 

PORTIONS OF COUNTY ROADS 162 AND 292...IN THE VICINITY OF ALPINE AND 

SAINT ELMO...IN CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY...SHORTLY BEFORE 10 PM THIS 

EVENING.  REPORTS ESTIMATED MUD SLIDES 7 TO 8 FEET DEEP OVER 

PORTIONS OF ROADS 162 AND 292...SEVERE PROPERTY DAMAGE..AND VEHICLES 

MOVED.  NO KNOWN INJURIES OR DEATHS HAD OCCURRED.  OFFICIALS ORDERED 

THE AREA EVACUATED.



RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA WERE TAPERING OFF.  LITTLE TO NO ADDITIONAL 

RAINFALL IS EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT.



DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1.0 TO 1.5 

INCHES OCCURRED OVER THE AREA BETWEEN 630 AND 930 PM MDT SATURDAY 

EVENING.  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS...BETWEEN 930 AND 1100 PM 

SATURDAY EVENING WERE LIGHT...GENERALLY LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH.



A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.

IF YOU ARE IN OR CLOSE TO THE WARNED AREA GO TO HIGHER GROUND

IMMEDIATELY. PEOPLE ALONG CREEKS AND DRAINAGE AREAS SHOULD TAKE

IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO

CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER OR STILL WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH ON FOOT

OR BY VEHICLE. AS LITTLE AS 6 INCHES OF WATER MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE

CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE...AND 2 FEET OF RUSHING WATER CAN CARRY AWAY

MOST VEHICLES...INCLUDING SUVS AND PICKUPS. NEARLY HALF OF ALL FLOOD

FATALITIES ARE VEHICLE RELATED. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN

IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. MAKE THE SMART

CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.



JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL IN STEEP...SATURATED TERRAIN CAN 

LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. WATER THAT IS NORMALLY ABSORBED BY THE 

SOIL...RUNS OFF ALMOST INSTANTLY. THIS CAUSES CREEKS AND DRAINAGE 

AREAS TO FLOOD AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN NORMAL. ADDITIONALLY...THE 

SOILS BECOME VERY UNSTABLE...RESULTING IN MUD FLOWS AND FALLING 

ROCK. ROADWAYS CAN BE WASHED OUT BY THE FORCE OF THE RUSHING WATER.



LAT...LON 3869 10642 3865 10619 3876 10619 3879 10641



$$

