Residents of flood-hit Colo. towns warned to leave

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Residents of flood-hit Colo. towns warned to leave

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Local resident Ben Rodman helps a friend salvage items from her home after floods in Lyons, Colo.

By F. Brinley Bruton, Staff Writer, NBC News

Officials warned residents of Colorado towns isolated by devastating floods against remaining there, telling them that they could face weeks without basic supplies, including running water and electricity. 

Meanwhile, four people were confirmed to have died in the flooding and more than 584 people unaccounted for, according to Micki Trost, spokesperson at  the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.  That number could go up or down because communications were so poor in the area, officials have said.

"We are assuming there may be further loss of life and injuries," Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said on Saturday. "Given the devastation on some of those canyons, it's definitely a high probability."

Forecasters warned of more rain ahead. Scattered thunderstorms were expected throughout the region on Sunday, with the greatest concentration from western Wyoming through central and western Colorado into the mountains of New Mexico, The Weather Channel reported.

"These thunderstorms have the potential to dump an inch of rain or more in less than an hour, triggering local flash flooding," according to The Weather Channel. "This includes flood-ravaged parts of Colorado and New Mexico." 

Over the weekend, helicopters and truck convoys warned resident in paralyzed communities about staying.

"We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,"  The Associated Press quoted Sheriff Pelle as saying on Saturday.

Authorities have made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while because rescuers won't go back for people who insist on staying. 

Nevertheless, dozens in hard hit Jamestown wanted to stay to watch over their homes.

"I was thinking about staying," special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, told the AP.  "I have a lot of training in wilderness survival."

He probably had enough beer to last the whole time, he added.

Shultz became emotional when he compared his lot to that of his neighbors.

"At least all of our stuff's there and will be there when we get back. The people right by the river, their houses were washed away," the AP quoted him as saying. "Other people thought their houses were going to be OK, and then they started to go. It's just really devastating."  

The total area affected was bounded in the north by Fort Collins, the south by Colorado Springs, the west by the foothills of The Rockies, and the east by the Denver suburbs, Trost said. Some 14,500 people live in areas under evacuation orders, she added, adding that 17 Colorado counties had been hit by the recent flooding.

Additional reporting by NBC News' Tracy Connor, Miguel Alamaguer and Daniella Silva, and The Associated Press.

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This story was originally published on Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:57 AM EDT

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