High water on streets, roads pose safety risk for drivers

Heavy rain on the east side of Colorado Springs Tuesday night highlighted the dangers of driving through high water from runoff.

Several vehicles stalled and required assistance on Platte Avenue just west of Citadel Mall, an area where street flooding is common.

Officials reminded drivers to be careful when approaching high water, advising drivers to “turn around, don’t drown” and avoid getting caught in water that can sweep vehicles away and result in injury or death.

“If we don’t know the depth of the water, we don’t want to drive our vehicles into it,” said Lt. Mark Trudell, of the Colorado Springs Fire Department. “Vehicles can get swept away in very low levels of water. I know people have four-wheel drive (vehicles) and think they can make it through, but generally, we say don’t try it at all.”

Trudell said the strategy is valid regardless of whether a driver is in city street flooding or in more serious flooding, like floods on U.S. 24 in Ute Pass after the Waldo Canyon fire.

Some drivers said turning around to avoid high water may be difficult depending on the amount of traffic behind them.

“Your stubbornness can get in the way of what you really know the risk is,” said Marcus Phillips. “A lot of us adults are in a rush from day to day. It’s like getting from spot to spot. We’re racing to get to that next spot.”

In a related matter, the city’s stormwater manager, Richard Mulledy, said two streets among the worst for flash flooding will be improved as part of the recent agreement between the city and Pueblo County.

That agreement lists 71 high-priority projects in the city over the next 20 years at an estimated cost of $460 million.

Mulledy said the two streets to be included are Tia Juana Street, just west of Citadel Mall, and Siferd Boulevard, where it crosses Date Street, near the intersection of Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway.

“Tia Juana is scheduled for 2018,” Mulledy said. “Siferd is scheduled for 2020, but we’re trying to get it moved up to 2018.”

Debra Harrison lives near the Siferd area and said she’s glad to hear it’s slated for work soon.

“I’ve been here just over 20 years,” she said. “I learned about this flooding the hard way, many years ago, and that kept me out of the area every time it rains. I think (the repair announcement), that’s a great thing. It’s just seeing the follow-through that would be, to me, the most important piece.”