Well, we got some rain.
Like 2 inches in 1 hour. Oops. What a mess.
http://www.denverpost.com/news...
A fast-moving thunderstorm dumped more than 3 inches of rain on the metro area during Thursday's rush hour — flooding streets, swamping cars and trucks, and downing trees and power lines.
Both Aurora and Denver reported that manhole covers were swept down the street, and Xcel Energy said about 28,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm, which began about 4:15 p.m. Xcel hoped to have all power restored by 9 a.m. today.
Much of the metro region, including Aurora, Centennial and Boulder, remained under a flash-flood warning until late in the evening.
In central Boulder County, the flooding danger was characterized as "life-threatening" by the National Weather Service.
Dozens of people were pulled from the water in the Denver metro area. There were no reports of serious injuries or fatalities.
Eight to 10 cars and trucks at a time were being trapped in the floodwaters at some intersections, said Denver Fire Department spokesman Phil Champagne.
"People are being stupid and trying to get through," said Scott Knock, a National Guardsman, after he helped push eight or nine stuck cars out of knee-deep water near 36th and Walnut streets in downtown Denver.
Jenna Kolb knew the water was too deep and stopped before driving through that intersection.
"The manhole covers were popping off and getting swept away," she said.
Wes Dupee, a bartender at the Denver Eagle, 36th and Blake streets, said water began pouring under the back door of the bar. The staff had to lift things to safety and unplug electrical equipment.
An RTD bus was half submerged on Broadway near Coors Field. Bill Nelson, a passenger on the bus, told 9News the cars around the bus looked like boats. He said the water came up to his waist as he and the other passengers evacuated the bus.
Champagne said the northeast part of the city was hard- hit, but few areas escaped problems, including lightning strikes that started fires, as well as downed trees and power lines.
"It's been all over the board, and it's been fast and furious all afternoon long," he said.
As if the floods weren't troubling enough, tornado sirens blared near Colorado Boulevard early in the storm, but the Weather Service said there were no funnel clouds in the area.
Midway through the storm, Cherry Creek in Denver was running at seven times its normal flow, according to river gauges, and water was more than 4 feet deep on the bike path.
The Fourmile Canyon area was of particular concern Thursday evening. A wildfire in the area west of Boulder charred 6,200 acres and 189 homes there last fall, and experts have warned that the area is at risk of flash floods and mudslides from intense storms.
The Weather Service said law enforcement officials reported several mudslides along Fourmile Canyon Drive, including one 100 feet across and 4 feet deep in the 8000 block of Fourmile Canyon Drive near Emerson Gulch Road. However, emergency officials said at 10 p.m. the immediate danger had passed and no evacuations would be needed.
The storm delayed flights at Denver International Airport for 60 to 90 minutes, said spokeswoman Laura Coale. Some flights were canceled and others were diverted, she said.
The metro area has a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight, with a high near 89 degrees and a southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm. A chance of rain — between 20 percent and 30 percent — will linger though the weekend.
