Risk for flash flooding continued Wednesday evening in southern Colorado and parts of the Aspen Acres fire burn scar, where the National Weather Service declared an emergency and an evacuation amid severe thunderstorms.

Forecasters warned residents in the northern and central scar area, including Beulah, San Isabel and Wetmore, around 7 p.m. that a couple inches of rain had fallen and that rainfall was expected to continue at 1.5 to 3 inches per hour.

“This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER
GROUND NOW!” the Weather Service’s flash flood emergency read. It is in effect until 10 p.m. “IMMEDIATE EVACUATION for areas in and around
the Aspen Acres Burn Scar.”

In Ouray County, NWS officials also issued a flash flood emergency on Wednesday evening for parts of the Gold Mountain fire burn scar, prompting evacuations.

A flash flood watch was issued for El Paso County, as well as the southern Interstate 25 corridor, Teller County, the burn scars and portions of the Eastern Plains starting at noon and running through 8:45 p.m., Casey Dorn, meteorologist with news partner KOAA, said.

“In the burn scar zones, this flooding may once again be significant if heavy thunderstorms roll over the fire, with debris flows possible. Heavy rain has saturated the ground and made flooding easier,” Dorn said.

After intermittent showers and storms during the day dropped between a half inch and an inch of precipitation, periods of heavy rain were forecast for the region on Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo. Rainfall rates could be as much as 1 to 3 inches per hour at the storm’s peak, the NWS said.

On Tuesday, the Beulah, San Isabel and Wetmore areas were among the locations that experienced flooding after heavy rainfall. North Creek Cutoff Road in Beulah was closed because of debris washed into the road. Also, Colorado 165 at Old San Isabel Road and at McKenzie Junction was closed.

In Custer County, deputies responded to multiple reports of localized flooding near Copper Gulch Road in the western part of the county, Wetmore in the northeast and along the Colorado 165/Lake Isabel/Aspen Acres corridor.

In Colorado Springs, heavy rains closed Popes Valley Drive on the city’s northwest side near Ute Valley Park on Tuesday.