Flash floods roll through Springs

Sudden flooding in northeastern Colorado Springs closed some intersections and stranded a few cars Sunday afternoon.

A thunderstorm hit the city about 2:45 p.m. with the worst of the flooding near the intersections of Powers Boulevard and Barnes Road, according to the National Weather Service. In some parts of the city, up to 2 inches of rain fell in about an hour, said Randy Gray, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

“It was a lot of water that just clogged all of the drains,” Gray said. “All of the water pretty much just piled up in that area and stopped traffic.”

The flooding partially closed the intersection, closing off westbound Barnes and closing two of the three lanes on southbound Powers.

“A couple of cars were stranded because drivers drove through water that was too high,” said Sgt. L.C. Morgan of Colorado Springs police. He said that no one was hurt.

Even after the waters receded and the cars were towed out, debris left by the flooding kept the intersection partially closed.

The flooding also caused Cottonwood Creek to overflow near Galley Road and East San Miguel Street.

“It got out of its bank and was flowing across the road,” Gray said. “That made the whole thing worse because instead of the water flowing through the creek bed, it got out and started expanding.”

Gray said all of this rain in the past few months has turned the precipitation levels around in Colorado Springs. Even though the year started out dry, the city is now about normal levels, he said.

“All of this rain is welcome except when it comes down so hard and so fast,” he said.