Flash Flood Warning for El Paso County

There is a Flash Flood Warning for the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar area in West Central El Paso County until 2:30pm.

Thunderstorms are producing very heavy rainfall across the Waldo Canyon burn Scar area. By 9am, a third to a half inch of rain had already fallen. An additional half inch or more is expected throughout the day. Total Rainfall accumlations could exceed an inch or more by afternoon.

This is a very dangerous life threatening situation. Runoff from this excessive rainfall will cause Flash Flooding to occur. Some locations that will experience flooding include, Colorado Springs, Cascade, Chipita Park, Crystola, Green Mountain Falls and Manitou Springs.

This includes the following streams and drainages:
Monument Creek…Fountain Creek…French Creek…North Douglas
Creek…including Oak Valley…and subdivisions to Monument Creek…
West Monument Creek…including extreme southern Air Force Academy…
Camp Creek…including Queens Canyon…Garden of the Gods…Rockledge
Ranch…31st street channel…Waldo Canyon…including Manitou
Springs…Wellington Gulch…including Chipita Park…Sand Gulch…
including Chipita Park…Dry Creek…including Peregrine and
Rockrimmon subdivisions…South Douglas Creek…including Mountain
Shadows…Holland Park and east to Monument Creek and Williams
Canyon…including Manitou Springs.

Just a small amount of rainfall on a burn scar can lead to flash
flooding. Wwater that is normally absorbed by the soils and
vegetation…runs off almost instantly. This causes creeks and
drainage areas to flood at a much faster rate than normal. In
addition…the soils in a burn scar become unstable when it rains…
sometimes resulting in debris and falling rock. roads can be washed
out by the force of the rushing water and debris.