Colorado flooding persists after weekend storms
More than a week of rain and snow has led to high river levels and flooding in parts of Colorado that hasn't been seen since the 2013 floods.
The Poudre River running through Fort Collins had dropped to 2,530 cubic feet per second as of Tuesday morning. That was about 200 cfs slower than on Monday
The South Platte River in Weld County is at its highest level since 2013. This prompted the Colorado Department of Transportation to shut down U.S. Highway 34 in both directions at WCR 47 on Monday afternoon to relieve some of the building pressure on the temporary road.
High water levels on the Cache la Poudre River in Greeley also led to road closures.
In Morgan County, meanwhile, high water is making some roads impassable. There have been so many closures that the Morgan County Sheriff's Office has run out of barricades.
On Saturday, officials went as far as to ask people to avoid driving on county roads. Schools were closed on Monday, and a government spokesperson told residents to stay off water-logged rural roads.
Nevertheless, sheriff Jim Crone says people are disregarding the signs and driving around them, knocking them down.
Crone spotted a submerged truck on County Road 6 about seven miles southeast of Wiggins. He says the driver went down a closed road and the truck was swept downstream.
The driver got out and walked home without telling anyone what happened.
On Sunday, an ambulance was swept away by the rising waters, prompting the people inside to seek treatment for hypothermia.
In Logan County, the city of Sterling closed Pioneer Park and crews cleaned debris along the Pawnee Creek, which flows into the Platte, to lessen flooding risk.
The National Weather Service says the region will get the chance to dry in the coming days.
Tree branch debris from the May snow also remains a concern throughout the state.
Denver Public Works says if a broken tree branch is on your property, it's your responsibility to clean it up.
The debris is supposed to be tied in bundles no bigger than four inches in diameter, four feet long and 50 pounds. Those bundles can go in the trash.
Fresh snowfall in the high country will likely prevent Independence Pass and Mt. Evans Road from opening early. Earlier this month, CDOT said Independence Pass would open by May 21. CDOT spokesperson Amy Ford says crews are now planning to open the roads by Memorial Day.