Flash flooding near ‘Aspen Acres’ burn scar causing concern for residents, first responders
BEULAH, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District is warning residents in the area to get to high ground due to flash flooding.
Kelly Howe, a resident of Beulah, saw some of the flooding with her own eyes. Her house sits right next to a creek.
"I've never seen anything like this," Howe said. "I hope I don't see that again. It looks like volcanic ash. It was all black running through.
She's talking about heavy black water that was flowing down the creek and over roads near her house. Officials say they had significant debris flow coming from Northcreek and Northcreek Cutoff.
"It almost looks like Pompeii out here with all this soot that's now mud along the banks of the rivers," Howe said.
Even the animals seemed hesitant when faced with walking through black-stained mud. The blackened flash flood waters also created challenges for firefighters on the front lines.
"When the lightning storm comes in and the heavy rains, they do kind of have to pull off, to keep them safe," Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Three spokesperson Deana Harms said.
She says the heavy rain certainly helps the firefighting efforts, but not the extent people think.
"That water will just drop off so it might not go right to the base of trees," she said. "So you may have fires still creeping in the duff underneath the canopy."
Harms says no firefighters were hurt in the flash flooding Tuesday.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) posted video and photos of the flooding and said several agencies were responding to the area. PCSO says heavy flooding has been reported on Northcreek and 12 Mile Road, especially across low water crossings, small creeks and underpasses.
Officials say Highway 78 was closed at the top of Beulah Hill due to the flooding. It reopened around 5:45 p.m. over Beulah Hill. Around 6:10 p.m., officials said are roads were open and usable with the exception of Northcreek and Northcreek Cutoff. PCSO said as of 6:20 p.m. Highway 165 was closed at Old San Isabel Road and at McKenzie Junction.
They warned any additional rain could cause the issues to flare up again, and to keep an eye on the weather. First responders are asking people to avoid driving through water. The Custer County Sheriff's Office also warned on social media that there had been flooding in the burn scar area that was impacting some roads.
Flash flood warnings were in effect most of Tuesday, and more weather was expected throughout the week.
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