Heavy Rains and Flash Flood Stranded Dozens of Motorists in Denver

Denver drivers are trapped due to flash flooding brought on by heavy rainfall. Roadways were entirely submerged after a downpour of up to 2 inches in only one hour, forcing drivers to abandon their cars quickly.

Extreme Weather

After severe rain caused flash floods and stranded drivers around the region, many roads in Denver were closed on Sunday evening. According to the Denver Fire Department, rescuers saved at least 19 individuals, including several kids and a newborn, who were trapped in cars in flooded streets.

During the evening, intense storms formed north of Mile High City and grew stronger as they moved southwestward across the Front Range and Denver metro region. In as short as an hour, it rained between one and two inches in some places.

According to AccuWeather National Reporter Tony Laubach, 1.5 inches of rain fell in as little as 20 minutes in certain eastern and central areas of the city. Storm drains became clogged due to the large volumes of tiny hail and heavy rainfall.

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Stranded Motorists

Due to heavy flooding, a section of Interstate 70 was blocked in both directions for a number of hours. According to the Denver Fire Department, 11 persons were saved from I-70 and York Street, and eight more were rescued from the inundated streets around 38th and Blake Street.

The Colorado Department of Transportation also reported delays and closures on several sections of Interstate 25 on Sunday evening, and officials warned motorists to avoid flooded roads.

When the storms occurred, drivers had to slow to a crawl since the downpours severely impaired visibility. On social media, some Denver locals complained that the rain was falling so heavily that it was tough to tell how deep the water was on the roads.

Living close to one fully submerged crossroads, Stewart Broman told AccuWeather that hail-clogged storm drains were to blame for the deep floodwaters that all but stopped moving traffic in its tracks.

In front of a crossroads where several automobiles were submerged in floods, Broman recalled, "All of a sudden, we ended up with the water flowing up higher and higher." "That is something we have never seen before."

Tyler Abrams and his wife's Uber car suddenly found itself submerged in floodwaters that were as high as some vehicles' windows, according to Tyler Abrams, who told AccuWeather he had just arrived at Denver International Airport from Ohio. He recalled, "We got out of the car and walked approximately a quarter mile along the center of the road, ultimately being picked up by friends and taken to the hotel."

Affecting Everyone

Even for those whose vehicles were not submerged in the quickly rising floodwaters, the storm's impact on ground transportation caused travel woes throughout the city as impassable roads backed up traffic and caused gridlock.

I-70 was briefly reopened just after 10 p.m. as floodwaters slowly receded across urban regions. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Denver Police Department, MDT.

Residents of Denver, Commerce City, and Aurora were under flash flood warnings until 10:15 p.m. MDT, serving around 645,000 people.

Travelers are advised not to drive across severely flooded roads since most automobiles may be carried away by just 12 inches of rushing water, according to experts. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that flooding is a thunderstorm-related danger resulting in the most yearly fatalities.

On Sunday night, the Palmer Divide, the southern part of Lincoln County, and the southern foothills of the Colorado Rockies were all covered with showers and isolated thunderstorms.

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