

000 

WGUS75 KPUB 052151

FFSPUB

COC071-052345-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO

345 PM MDT THU AUG 5 2004



...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST LAS 

ANIMAS COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM MDT THURSDAY...



THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN BRINGING HEAVY RAIN TO SOUTHWEST LAS ANIMAS 

COUNTY SINCE AROUND 2 PM.  HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL 

AT LEAST 5 PM.  RADAR ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN 3 AND 4.5 INCHES OF 

RAIN HAS FALLEN THIS AFTERNOON IN AREAS JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 12 

BETWEEN STONEWALL AND SEGUNDO.  HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO CONTINUE 

FALLING ON THE TRINIDAD COMPLEX BURN SCAR.  FLASH FLOODING IN CREEKS 

AND STREAMS IS EXPECTED.  SOME ROADWAYS WILL BE FLOODED...WITH 

DEBRIS ALSO BLOCKING SOME ROADWAYS. 



BE ALERT FOR FAST RISING WATER AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF

NECESSARY. DO NOT DRIVE OR WALK INTO WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. AS

LITTLE AS 6 INCHES OF WATER MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR

VEHICLE...AND 2 FEET OF RUSHING WATER CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES...

INCLUDING SUVS AND PICKUPS. NEARLY HALF OF ALL FLOOD FATALITIES ARE

VEHICLE RELATED. KEEP CHILDREN AND OTHERS AWAY FROM FAST FLOWING

WATER. FLOODING WILL OCCUR ALONG CREEKS...IN DRAINAGE AREAS...OVER

RURAL ROADS...IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND ARROYOS...AND OVER LOW LYING

LAND ALONG CREEK BANKS.



JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL ON A BURN SCAR CAN LEAD TO FLASH

FLOODING. WATER THAT IS NORMALLY ABSORBED BY VEGETATION...RUNS OFF

ALMOST INSTANTLY. THIS CAUSES CREEKS AND DRAINAGE AREAS TO FLOOD AT A

MUCH FASTER RATE THAN NORMAL. ADDITIONALLY...THE SOILS IN A BURN SCAR

BECOME VERY UNSTABLE WHEN IT RAINS. ENTIRE HILLSIDES CAN BREAK

AWAY...CREATING DEVASTATING ROCK SLIDES...MUDSLIDES...AND DEBRIS

FLOWS. ROADWAYS ARE OFTEN DESTROYED BY THE POWERFUL FORCE OF THE

RUSHING WATER AND DEBRIS...ESPECIALLY IF THEY PASS THROUGH A CREEK

BED OR OTHER DRAINAGE AREA.



WATCH FOR ROCKSLIDES AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. WHEN DRIVING...

SLOW DOWN TO AVOID HITTING ROCKS AND MUD ON THE ROADWAY.



$$

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