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| Colorado flash floods: officials order further evacuations as rains continue | Colorado flash floods: officials order further evacuations as rains continue |
| (5 days later) | |
| Thousands more people were ordered to evacuate their homes in Boulder on Friday as rain continued to cause severe flooding in the city and elsewhere in Colorado. | Thousands more people were ordered to evacuate their homes in Boulder on Friday as rain continued to cause severe flooding in the city and elsewhere in Colorado. |
| Several creeks close to Boulder rose to dangerous levels late Thursday, after rain forced many residents from their homes the night before. At least three people have been killed in Colorado, and thousands more have been forced to seek refuge in shelters. | Several creeks close to Boulder rose to dangerous levels late Thursday, after rain forced many residents from their homes the night before. At least three people have been killed in Colorado, and thousands more have been forced to seek refuge in shelters. |
| Rescuers are struggling to reach people in the towns of Lyons, Jamestown and others in the Rocky Mountain foothills, while some homes and streets in Denver, 25 miles southeast of Boulder, have also been flooded. | Rescuers are struggling to reach people in the towns of Lyons, Jamestown and others in the Rocky Mountain foothills, while some homes and streets in Denver, 25 miles southeast of Boulder, have also been flooded. |
| Late Thursday night, warning sirens blared in Boulder and city officials sent notice to about 4,000 people living along Boulder Creek, telling them to head for higher ground, according to Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper. Boulder County spokesman James Burrus told the Associated Press that about 8,000 telephones were called with the message to evacuate, but that officials aren't sure how many individuals that represented. | Late Thursday night, warning sirens blared in Boulder and city officials sent notice to about 4,000 people living along Boulder Creek, telling them to head for higher ground, according to Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper. Boulder County spokesman James Burrus told the Associated Press that about 8,000 telephones were called with the message to evacuate, but that officials aren't sure how many individuals that represented. |
| Many Boulder residents had already been forced to flee after streets and homes were inundated in the early hours of Thursday morning. | Many Boulder residents had already been forced to flee after streets and homes were inundated in the early hours of Thursday morning. |
| Keivan Moallemi told the Guardian the floods left his apartment in Boulder under four feet of water. | Keivan Moallemi told the Guardian the floods left his apartment in Boulder under four feet of water. |
| "I noticed it at around 1.40am," Moallemi said. "My roommate had gone to bed and I was watching a movie. I went to stand up and I noticed around a couple of inches of water throughout our entire apartment. Our neighbours on the other side of us in the same building had gotten around three feet or so in their apartment by that point, and the water was starting to seep through the walls. It was coming out of the walls, it was coming out of the electrical sockets." | "I noticed it at around 1.40am," Moallemi said. "My roommate had gone to bed and I was watching a movie. I went to stand up and I noticed around a couple of inches of water throughout our entire apartment. Our neighbours on the other side of us in the same building had gotten around three feet or so in their apartment by that point, and the water was starting to seep through the walls. It was coming out of the walls, it was coming out of the electrical sockets." |
| Moallemi, a 23-year-old online student who moved to Boulder in January, said he woke his roommate and they started salvaging what they could. He managed to load his laptop and a few other small items into a car, but within 35 minutes the water went from "ankle high to about three feet high". | Moallemi, a 23-year-old online student who moved to Boulder in January, said he woke his roommate and they started salvaging what they could. He managed to load his laptop and a few other small items into a car, but within 35 minutes the water went from "ankle high to about three feet high". |
| Best pic of the #Boulderflood—the bike path: pic.twitter.com/qKkddS6pyA | Best pic of the #Boulderflood—the bike path: pic.twitter.com/qKkddS6pyA |
| Roads to the south of Boulder were closed due to the extensive flooding, so Moallemi drove out of Boulder to the north to stay with friends. When he returned to the apartment late on Thursday the water had receded but the damage was widespread. | Roads to the south of Boulder were closed due to the extensive flooding, so Moallemi drove out of Boulder to the north to stay with friends. When he returned to the apartment late on Thursday the water had receded but the damage was widespread. |
| "The water was really, really dirty," Moallemi said. "There was maybe a centimetre, maybe a little more of mud and silt all over the floor, all over our couch, all over the countertops, everything. It's insane." | "The water was really, really dirty," Moallemi said. "There was maybe a centimetre, maybe a little more of mud and silt all over the floor, all over our couch, all over the countertops, everything. It's insane." |
| Moallemi said he was going to return to the apartment again on Friday to try and salvage some of his possessions. | Moallemi said he was going to return to the apartment again on Friday to try and salvage some of his possessions. |
| Early Friday, Boulder County spokesman James Burrus said the entire hamlet of Eldorado Springs, including about 500 people, was urged to evacuate because of a flash flood and mudslide threat along South Boulder Creek. | Early Friday, Boulder County spokesman James Burrus said the entire hamlet of Eldorado Springs, including about 500 people, was urged to evacuate because of a flash flood and mudslide threat along South Boulder Creek. |
| In Fort Collins, neighborhoods along the Cache La Poudre River were evacuated overnight, with the river expected to rise to nearly 2ft above flood stage Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. | In Fort Collins, neighborhoods along the Cache La Poudre River were evacuated overnight, with the river expected to rise to nearly 2ft above flood stage Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. |
| City officials in Fort Collins closed bridges after water began topping Seaman Reservoir in the Poudre Canyon, the Denver Post reported, and the city warned residents to stay clear of the river. | City officials in Fort Collins closed bridges after water began topping Seaman Reservoir in the Poudre Canyon, the Denver Post reported, and the city warned residents to stay clear of the river. |
| One person was killed when a structure collapsed in Jamestown, northwest of Boulder. Another man drowned in flood waters north of Boulder early Thursday and a woman who was with him went missing. She was swept away after the vehicle she was driving got stuck in water. | One person was killed when a structure collapsed in Jamestown, northwest of Boulder. Another man drowned in flood waters north of Boulder early Thursday and a woman who was with him went missing. She was swept away after the vehicle she was driving got stuck in water. |
| The man died after getting out of the vehicle to help her, Commander Heidi Prentup of the Boulder sheriff's office said. | The man died after getting out of the vehicle to help her, Commander Heidi Prentup of the Boulder sheriff's office said. |
| In Lyons, residents took shelter on higher ground, including at an elementary school. Although everyone was believed to be safe, the deluge was expected to continue into Friday. The Colorado National Guard began trucking people out of Lyons Thursday evening. | In Lyons, residents took shelter on higher ground, including at an elementary school. Although everyone was believed to be safe, the deluge was expected to continue into Friday. The Colorado National Guard began trucking people out of Lyons Thursday evening. |
| "There's no way out of town. There's no way into town. So, basically, now we're just on an island," said Jason Stillman, 37, who was forced with his fiancee to evacuate their Lyons home at about 3am after a nearby river began to overflow into the street. | "There's no way out of town. There's no way into town. So, basically, now we're just on an island," said Jason Stillman, 37, who was forced with his fiancee to evacuate their Lyons home at about 3am after a nearby river began to overflow into the street. |
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