http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/14/us/flooding-colorado/index.html?hpt=hp_t29/14/13
Colorado floods: Dramatic rescues as more rain arrives Boulder, Colorado (CNN) -- Heavy storms returned to northeastern Colorado on Saturday as rescuers scrambled to take advantage of breaks in the weather to continue reaching stranded residents.
The rain Saturday extended eastward from southeast Denver, where the National Weather Service said 1.73 inches of rain fell in less than 30 minutes.
The agency warned that El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, could endure more flooding because of heavy rain Saturday evening along a "burn scar" created by an earlier fire in Waldo Canyon.
The rain Saturday evening spared Boulder County, scene of the most damage discovered so far. But officials said they received a forecast of up to 4 inches of rain for Sunday afternoon.
Sheriff Joe Pelle said rain that heavy "could be devastating."
Authorities are worried that any additional water on ground already soaked by up to 15 inches of rain will cause more flooding and dislodge mud and debris.
At least four deaths have been blamed on the flooding.
In addition, a 60-year-old woman was presumed dead after witnesses saw her being swept away by waters that demolished her home, said Nick Christensen, executive officer of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. Neighbors tried unsuccessfully to rescue the woman, Christensen said. Her body had not been recovered.
The sheriff's office said that about 350 people were unaccounted for in Larimer County. That number jumped sharply Saturday afternoon as rescuers reached more empty homes. The sheriff's office lists such residents as unaccounted for until they are located elsewhere.
In neighboring Boulder County, 231 people were on the "unaccounted for" list as of 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET), said Gabrielle Boerkircher, spokesperson for the county office of emergency management. She said that number was fluctuating as some people were found safe even as the county received new requests to locate people.
A surveillance mission carrying Gov. John Hickenlooper and members of Colorado's congressional delegation was diverted twice to pick up people waving to be rescued.
After the officials' delayed arrival at a Boulder airport, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall said, "That dog and the cat and those seven people on those two helicopters didn't ask us whether we were Democrats or Republicans." And he promised a bipartisan push in Congress for federal aid for flood recovery.
Hickenlooper said he spoke by phone with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who "was adamant that the $5 million that was released yesterday was just the beginning" of federal assistance.
Experts from Vermont will arrive next week to share lessons learned about improved road-building in the wake of Hurricane Irene, the governor said.
Hickenlooper said he saw many damaged roads with "not just the asphalt taken away, but the entire roadbed, and bridge after bridge missing."
But he promised, "We're going to come back and rebuild better than it was before."
Boulder County alone will need an estimated $150 million to repair 100 to 150 miles of roadway and 20 to 30 bridges, county transportation director George Gerstle said. The repair bill will be "10 to 15 times our annual budget," he said.
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