Highway 94 back open after dozens of motorists required rescue

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - El Paso County Search and Rescue says they've worked at least 30 calls for service on Highway 94, and roughly 15-20 calls off Judge Orr Road since last night.

Crews compared the storm to a bomb cyclone, and drivers told KRDO13 they had to wrestle with near-zero visibility after driving east on the highway. Still, around a dozen cars remain waiting for a tow after driving into ditches on the side of the road last night.

"By the time we got here, it was pockets [of visibility] that we were looking for,  posts on the road for signs, and we were still on the road. And then the next thing you know ... it's just  I'm happy we didn't hit a pole," said Mary Carillo, a driver stranded last night.

Carillo said there had been zero visibility by the time they had reached Ellicott last night. The Tri-County Fire Department compared conditions to that of the bomb cyclone that hit Southern Colorado back in 2019.

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According to crews at the scene, Highway 94 is closed off where it begins at Ellicott Highway. They report that there are inches of thick ice along the road.

Search and Rescue say they've been aiding stranded motorists, and at least one person they helped had to be taken to the hospital.

As of late afternoon on Wednesday, people were still working to dig themselves out of ditches where they left abandoned cars and trucks.

Crews say the Colorado Department of Transportation has also been aiding in clearing the roads, as well as blocking them to prevent more drivers from entering.

Weather conditions made for dangerous drives across Southern Colorado. US 24 closed between Constitution Avenue, east to the town of Limon. Some drivers nearby faced issues getting gas, as pumps were down due to power outages.