Colorado Disaster Zone Spreads across 17 Counties

Death toll reaches 8, as Colorado floods destroy or damage thousands of homes

The disaster zone encompasses 17 Colorado counties, as the historic deluge, called a 500-to-1,000-year flood, forces thousands of evacuations.

The Colorado Office of Emergency Management has now raised the official death toll to eight, up from five over the weekend.

In Boulder County about 2,000 people have been evacuated, most of them airlifted by helicopters.

In Larimer County at least 1,000 people remain to be evacuated.

At least 1,500 homes have been destroyed and 4,500 damaged in Larimer County. Additionally, 200 businesses have been lost and 500 damaged.

More than 100 homes were destroyed in the town of Lyons, Boulder County, but no countywide figures were available, as of posting.

About 600 people remained unaccounted for in Larimer and Boulder counties, many believed to be stranded in remote mountain areas cut off by floodwaters and with no access to telephone, cell phone or Internet service, officials said.

Floodwaters are moving east toward Nebraska, where officials have issued multiple flood warnings.

More than 533mm (21 inches) of rain fell in parts of Boulder city, near Denver, during the week-long deluge, nearly twice the area’s average annual rainfall.

Colorado’s air rescue operations were the largest in the United States since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, said National Guard officials.

Fema and Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management announced yesterday that 12 additional counties had been added to the September 12, 2013, presidential emergency disaster declaration for the Colorado flooding in Boulder, El Paso and Larimer counties.

The additional disaster counties include Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Fremont, Jefferson, Morgan, Logan, Pueblo, Washington and Weld counties, which were affected by the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides.

Related Links

• “This is a 500-to-1,000-year flood” September 15, 2013

• N. Colorado Declared as Federal Disaster Area September 14, 2013
• Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Colorado Floods Worsen September 13, 2013
• Deadly Flooding Forces Thousands of Evacuations in Colorado September 13, 2013

• Tri- State Area Rainfall Reports (September 12, 2013)
• Flood Evacuation: overflowing dam forces evacuation of Leyden neighborhood in Jefferson County

N. Colorado Declared as Federal Disaster Area

Federal Disaster area declared for Fort Collins, northern Colo.

Thousands more evacuations have been ordered for the northern neighborhoods of Fort Collins.

The Poudre River is flowing at a rate of about 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), 100 times its normal flow, flooding significantly through Fort Collins and is expected to rise.

Officials have urged thousands of people to take shelter in dozens of the northern neighborhoods of Fort Collins.

Severe flooding has forced officials to close bridges, schools, and city offices in Fort Collins and Loveland, Colo.

Colorado State Patrol troopers took this photo on I-25 near Highway 34 in Larimer County at 7:30 on Friday, September 13, 2013.

A flood warning posted on the city of Fort Collins website read: “Poudre River has reached capacity and is flooding. The flooding on the river is of much greater severity than earlier reports. Travel is discouraged. For your safety, please avoid areas near the river. All bridges that cross the Poudre River are closed. Do NOT attempt to drive through floodwaters.”

The Big Thompson River is flowing at more than 9,000 cfs, the highest level since the Big Thompson flood of 1976, officials said.

“The city of Loveland has essentially been divided in two by the flow of the Big Thompson River,” said Tom Hacker, public information officer for the city of Loveland.

“There is no river crossing that is open in Loveland at this time. Any transit going from North to South in Loveland is impossible.”

4 Dead, 176 Missing

As of Friday evening, the death toll from the worst floods to hit Colorado in living memory had climbed to at least four with 176  others still unaccounted for.

Largest Storm in History

“It’s got to be the largest storm that I can imagine in the state’s history,” said Governor John Hickenlooper at a news conference.

Colorado Emergency Declaration

Meantime, the White House declared an emergency exists in the State of Colorado and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning on September 11, 2013, and continuing.

The declaration is in response to the threat of catastrophe in the counties of Boulder, El Paso, and Larimer, said the WH statement.

On Friday, Governor Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency for 14 counties.

Related Links

• Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Colorado Floods Worsen September 13, 2013
• Deadly Flooding Forces Thousands of Evacuations in Colorado September 13, 2013

Dozens Dead or Missing in India amid Extreme Monsoon Rains

Deadly flooding and landslides triggered by extreme rains wreak havoc across northern India

Earliest ever monsoon rains has covered the entire India, according to the country’s Met Office, triggering sever flooding that have inundated hundreds of towns and villages,  sweeping away homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

At least 50 people are known to have died, as of posting,  and many more are missing.

Footage shows apartment blocks in Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand surrounded by flood waters, before one is swept away.

Mumbai has been crippled by torrential rains and high winds, with many low-lying areas in the city and suburbs flooded.

“The situation is very grim. The meteorological office has predicted that the rain will continue for another three days at least,” said a government spokesman.

-oOo-

Singapore, Malaysia suffocate as Indonesia forest fires intensify

The air quality index in Malaysia and Singapore fell to unhealthy levels on Monday, as smoke from illegal forest clearing in Indonesia blanketed the region.

Singapore government has advised people to stay indoors,  as the pollutant standards index climbed to its highest level in seven years, said a report.

“Given the current hazy conditions, it is advised that children, the elderly and those with heart or lung diseases reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor activities… Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy outdoor activities,” said Singapore’s National Environment Agency.

-oOo-

Black Forest Fire: Initial Home Assessment

Updated: June 16, 2013 at approximately 7:30 p.m. (DST) – El Paso County Sheriff’s office

The extent of damage caused by the Black Forest Fire to homes in the region is as follows:

• Total Loss: 483
• Partial Damage: 17

Note: This is a preliminary home assessment. Due to continuous and dynamic fire activity the information could change.

The blaze was reportedly 65 percent contained, as of posting.

• Initial Home Assessment
• Black Forest Fire Map

-oOo-

Red Flag Warning Issued for Most of Alaska

NWS has issued for most of Alaska, as several fires rage across the states, including a lightning-caused fire near Lime Village in the central Kuskokwim River, which grew  rapidly Sunday evening. “It had more than doubled, to 12,260 acres, in 48 hours, according to a news release issued at 7:45 p.m. Sunday,” said a report.

Fire danger is expected to be extreme over the next 5 days, forecasters said.

-oOo-

High and Low Temperature for the Contiguous U.S.

High Temperature for Sunday, June 16, 2013 (as received by 8 am EDT June 17)

• 114 degrees (45.6ºC) recorded at Ocotillo Wells, CA

Low Temperature for Monday, June 17, 2013 (as received by 8 am EDT June 17)

• 30 degrees (-1.1ºC) recorded at Stanley, ID

World’s High and Low Temperature

Max Temp.  June 17, 2013  at 15:00 UTC

• 126.5 degrees (52.5ºC) recorded at Socotra, Yemen

Min Temp.  June 17, 2013  at 15:00 UTC

• -101.4 degrees (-74.1ºC)  recorded at Concordia, Antarctica

[Source: National Weather Service/NCEP]

Related Links

World Record High Temperature Could Be Broken This Year

-oOo-