Colorado is now a state changed forever from ruthless floods as the mountains absorb torrential rains in 15 counties across the state. Larimer and Boulder Counties have so far been the hardest-hit.
“Rivers developed out of nowhere,” said Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith in a news conference on Sunday.”I mean we are talking things that were eight, 10 feet deep, cut through mountainsides. There’s the potential that people got caught up, where it felt safe (and) it was always safe.”
Four additional inches of rain were recorded on Sunday, grounding military helicopters crucial to the relief effort.
The state has reported six fatalities, but this morning Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper told NBC’s Today Show he expects there will be more.
The Colorado Office of Emergency Management has estimated that more than 1,200 people are unaccounted for as many remain trapped or unable to get in touch with friends and family. That number is expected to drop as displaced residents contact officials.
More rain is forecast for today.
Joining The Takeaway for an update on the rescue efforts in the state is Kirk Mitchell, reporter for the Denver Post.
Â
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.