Mother Nature leaves mark in southeastern Colorado

Mother Nature has been giving southeastern Colorado its fair share of severe weather.

Highway 194 from Las Animas to La Junta is closed because the Arkansas River is flowing above its banks, which is flooding parts of the road.

“Hectic, controlled chaos probably, it’s just always when you have water lowered somewhere it happens somewhere else where you have rain or hail,” C-DOT Foreman Joe Dolzani said.

Dolzani said the highway has been closed since Thursday. He said all he and his crews can do is keep people safe by monitoring the river and keeping flooded roads closed so that drivers don’t get stuck.

Dave Miller, who lives near the flooded highway, said an overflowing Arkansas River has been giving him problems. He said he is having a hard time getting out of his driveway because the water is too deep. He also said the water is washing away grass that he was going to use for hay.

“It’s frustrating because it goes on for so long. It looked like it was going to drain last week, now it’s going to hold in here for a few days,” Miller said.

Dolzani said before crews can do any repairs on the highway, they have to wait for the water to recede.