A slow-moving thunderstorm dumped intense rain for an hour over the southern part of Pueblo this morning, flooding Interstate 25 and various off-ramps and underpasses, the National Weather Service said.
By 10:55 a.m., the roadway had reopened after being closed for about an hour, according to Police Sgt. Kim Wittrup.
Wittrup said that a number of motorists were stranded in the high water but were able to get out on their own.
He said, however, that one car was in quite deep water up to mid-door height.
“The car contained three older ladies, and a female officer led them out through the water. Their car is still there, totally flooded. It made the gals panic as water came in the door. The officer had to wade hip-deep out to get them,” Wittrup said.
Wittrup said that as of 11 a.m., the Fountain River, which flows into the Arkansas River in Pueblo, was running bank full. But he said no homes or businesses were threatened.
Most of the area is protected by levees, he said.
Wittrup said Pueblo has experienced much stronger storms and worse flooding. Overall, the situation was not that dangerous, he said.
“Everyone has been taken care of,” he said.
Randy Gray, a National Weather Service meteorologist technician in Pueblo, said a slow-moving thunderstorm caused the deluge.
He said Pueblo has exceeded the average amount of rainfall for the month of August. The city has received 2.56 inches so far this month, compared with an average of 2.11 inches. For the year, Pueblo has received 11.85 inches, compared with a yearly average of 9.78 inches for the first eight months.
Gray said most of the flooding today was caused by the terrain in Pueblo, which doesn’t drain well.
Lisa Shorter, spokesperson for the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, said the flooding was concentrated within the city of Pueblo, with no reports of flooding in the county.
The rain was extremely heavy during the storm, which began shortly before 9 a.m., Shorter said.
The interstate was closed at about 9:45 a.m. between Ilex Street and Central Avenue and opened slightly more than an hour later.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
