Wetter summer than usual expected, bringing concerns of flash flooding

The record-setting amount of rain that fell in Colorado Springs and Pueblo over the month of May may be just the beginning. The National Weather Service in Pueblo is forecasting a wetter than normal summer.

“Definitely, flash flooding is a bigger concern. You can see the soils are also very moist,” said meteorologistPaul Wolyn of the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

This May, 8.13 inches of rain fell in Colorado Springs — breaking the 1935 record of 8.10 inches. Meanwhile, 5.47 inches of rain came down in Pueblo, topping the 1957 record of 5.43 inches.

“With the additional rainfall, there’s higher runoff,” Wolyn said. “Plus, the summer and an active monsoon season is notorious for getting thunderstorms, which produce heavy rainfall.”

Merle Dow isn’t wasting any time preparing his home in Green Mountain Falls, which sits in front of Catamount Creek. He said the creek is running about a foot higher than it was at this time last year.

“It’s been running like this pretty steadily for the past month,” Dow said.

Dow recently purchased flood insurance. He also has a stash of sandbags on hand and plans to fill more this week. He told KRDO NewsChannel 13 he closely monitors the creek in the event that he has to evacuate.

“I pretty well know from being here all these years when to leave,” he said. “You get a pretty good sense of it.”

As for the fire danger, Wolyn said even though it’s currently low he added that the second half of June and early July tend to be the driest weeks of the summer.