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BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO

135 PM MDT THU AUG 7 2008



THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A



* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...

  NORTH CENTRAL COSTILLA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

  WEST CENTRAL HUERFANO COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO...



* UNTIL 430 PM MDT...



* AT 126 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED

  FLASH FLOODING FROM A STORM 6 MILES WEST OF LA VETA PASS...OR ABOUT

  33 MILES EAST OF ALAMOSA...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.



* THE STORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER

  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTIES..



DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES THAT RAIN TOTALS OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH 

HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE MATO VEGA BURN SCAR...NEAR HIGHWAY 160 AND LA 

VETA PASS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED IN THAT 

AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE SATURATION OF 

THE GROUND...AND RECENT MUDSLIDE HISTORY...ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING 

AND MUD FLOWS ACROSS HIGHWAY 160 IS PROBABLE.



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. IF YOU DRIVE INTO

WATER THAT IS TOO DEEP...BACK UP. IF YOU ENCOUNTER A ROAD BARRIER IN

FRONT OF WATER ON THE ROAD...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.



JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL ON A BURN SCAR CAN LEAD TO FLASH

FLOODING. WATER THAT IS NORMALLY ABSORBED BY VEGETATION...RUNS OFF

ALMOST INSTANTLY. THIS CAUSES CREEKS AND DRAINAGE AREAS TO FLOOD AT A

MUCH FASTER RATE THAN NORMAL. ADDITIONALLY...THE SOILS IN A BURN SCAR

BECOME UNSTABLE WHEN IT RAINS...RESULTING IN MUD FLOWS AND FALLING

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



LAT...LON 3751 10529 3756 10537 3767 10533 3763 10517



$$

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