More than 500 people stranded by a potent spring snowstorm slept overnight in three shelters in Georgetown and Idaho Springs, authorities say.
More than 400 stayed in cots set up in hallways, a cafeteria and a gym at Clear Creek County Middle School after the Colorado Department of Transportation shut Interstate 70 down from Vail to Golden.
Another 84 people stayed in a nearby elementary school, and other stranded motorists stayed in a shelter in Georgetown. No estimate was immediately available of how many people stayed in the Georgetown shelter.
The Red Cross closed all its shelters this morning after I-70 was reopened to traffic but is still responding to requests from county emergency managers.
Jane Thomas, Red Cross Shelter Manager for the Clear Creek Middle School shelter, said the first stranded passenger who walked into the middle school volunteered to sign people in at the school’s front desk.
The stranded travelers included a large family on their way to Carbondale to celebrate their parents’ 60th wedding anniversary, a 6-week-old infant, a professional cyclist who will miss a race and a group of spring breakers from San Francisco.
At the request of Clear Creek County officials, Gov. Bill Ritter activated the National Guard.
The Guard sent 10 soldiers from the 193rd Battalion in three Humvee vehicles to transport cots, blankets, diapers, water, food and other supplies from the Red Cross bulk warehouse in Denver to the shelters.
It took some people up to five hours to make their way from the highway to the shelters, said Jim Rettew, spokesman for the American Red Cross, Mile High chapter.
Colorado State Patrol troopers went from car to car telling people about the shelters, but some people decided to remain in their cars all night, he said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
