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| Thousands warned to evacuate amid Colorado floods | Thousands warned to evacuate amid Colorado floods |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of people have been warned to evacuate the Boulder area of Colorado and a mountain hamlet as flooding swells creeks to dangerous levels. | Thousands of people have been warned to evacuate the Boulder area of Colorado and a mountain hamlet as flooding swells creeks to dangerous levels. |
| Storm rains have killed at least three people in the state and caused severe damage to property. | Storm rains have killed at least three people in the state and caused severe damage to property. |
| Water levels in the Boulder Canyon are reportedly rising rapidly because of debris and mud blocking its mouth. | Water levels in the Boulder Canyon are reportedly rising rapidly because of debris and mud blocking its mouth. |
| President Barack Obama has signed an emergency order approving federal disaster aid for Boulder County. | President Barack Obama has signed an emergency order approving federal disaster aid for Boulder County. |
| Towns such as Jamestown, Lyons and Longmont are said to have been reduced to islands by the swirling floodwaters. | Towns such as Jamestown, Lyons and Longmont are said to have been reduced to islands by the swirling floodwaters. |
| 'Biblical' | 'Biblical' |
| Officials set up road blocks to prevent some residents fleeing in their vehicles on to flooded roads. | Officials set up road blocks to prevent some residents fleeing in their vehicles on to flooded roads. |
| The raging torrent - dubbed a "100-year flood" by officials - has hampered rescue crews trying to reach communities stranded downstream. | The raging torrent - dubbed a "100-year flood" by officials - has hampered rescue crews trying to reach communities stranded downstream. |
| Lyons resident Howard Wachtel joked to the Associated Press news agency: "This is more like something out of the Bible. I saw one of my neighbours building an ark." | Lyons resident Howard Wachtel joked to the Associated Press news agency: "This is more like something out of the Bible. I saw one of my neighbours building an ark." |
| Some 4,000 people living along Boulder Creek were sent notices to move to higher ground late on Thursday, reported Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper. | Some 4,000 people living along Boulder Creek were sent notices to move to higher ground late on Thursday, reported Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper. |
| Another 500 inhabitants of Eldorado Springs were urged to leave due to a threat from South Boulder Creek, an official told the Associated Press early on Friday. | Another 500 inhabitants of Eldorado Springs were urged to leave due to a threat from South Boulder Creek, an official told the Associated Press early on Friday. |
| Low-lying areas beyond the Rocky Mountains are also at risk, with up to 3,000 people already ordered to leave the Commerce City district of Denver. | Low-lying areas beyond the Rocky Mountains are also at risk, with up to 3,000 people already ordered to leave the Commerce City district of Denver. |
| Police in the city reported on Twitter a man was pulled by the water into a drainage pipe with his dog. Both were rescued alive two blocks away. | |
| 'Staggering' rainfall | 'Staggering' rainfall |
| Emergency notifications have been issued to 8,000 telephone numbers in areas along Boulder Creek. | Emergency notifications have been issued to 8,000 telephone numbers in areas along Boulder Creek. |
| Governor John Hickenlooper told local radio there had been "a staggering amount" of rainfall. | Governor John Hickenlooper told local radio there had been "a staggering amount" of rainfall. |
| "Given the drought situation we've had, it was almost a year's worth of rain," he said on the KBCO radio station. | "Given the drought situation we've had, it was almost a year's worth of rain," he said on the KBCO radio station. |
| Emergency officials have reported at least three deaths: a man in Colorado Springs; a man when a building collapsed in Jamestown; and a man in Boulder, who died after getting out of a car to help a woman swept away from the same vehicle. She was still missing. | Emergency officials have reported at least three deaths: a man in Colorado Springs; a man when a building collapsed in Jamestown; and a man in Boulder, who died after getting out of a car to help a woman swept away from the same vehicle. She was still missing. |
| A spokesman for Boulder County, James Burrus, said 17 people were unaccounted for on Friday. | A spokesman for Boulder County, James Burrus, said 17 people were unaccounted for on Friday. |
| "Unaccounted for doesn't mean missing," Mr Burrus told the Associated Press. "It means we haven't heard back from them." | "Unaccounted for doesn't mean missing," Mr Burrus told the Associated Press. "It means we haven't heard back from them." |
| The Boulder area alone has seen 14.62in (37cm) of rain in a 48-hour period, according to the Daily Camera. Average yearly precipitation is about 21in. | The Boulder area alone has seen 14.62in (37cm) of rain in a 48-hour period, according to the Daily Camera. Average yearly precipitation is about 21in. |
| "There is water everywhere," Andrew Barth, emergency management spokesman in Boulder County, told Reuters news agency. "We've had several structural collapses. There's mud and muck and debris everywhere. Cars are stranded all over the place." | "There is water everywhere," Andrew Barth, emergency management spokesman in Boulder County, told Reuters news agency. "We've had several structural collapses. There's mud and muck and debris everywhere. Cars are stranded all over the place." |
| National Guard troops have reportedly been dispatched north of Boulder to the cut-off town of Lyons, which is said to be without fresh water, power or phone lines. | National Guard troops have reportedly been dispatched north of Boulder to the cut-off town of Lyons, which is said to be without fresh water, power or phone lines. |
| Part of US highway 36 is closed after it was washed out by floodwater, and Colorado officials shut interstate 25 north of Denver all the way to the Wyoming border. | |
| A 20ft (6m) wall of water was reported in Left Hand Canyon, north of Boulder, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Kleyla. | A 20ft (6m) wall of water was reported in Left Hand Canyon, north of Boulder, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Kleyla. |
| Classes at the University of Colorado, Boulder, were cancelled until Friday at least, while schools in the area are also closed. | Classes at the University of Colorado, Boulder, were cancelled until Friday at least, while schools in the area are also closed. |
| The prolonged rain has been blamed on a low-pressure system stationed over Nevada, which is drawing moist air out of Mexico into the Rockies' foothills. | The prolonged rain has been blamed on a low-pressure system stationed over Nevada, which is drawing moist air out of Mexico into the Rockies' foothills. |
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