A trio of tornadoes touched down south of Lamar on Sunday but caused no reported damage. The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings at 4 p.m., 4:04 and 4:15.
The tornadoes are “associated with this really slow-moving storm system over the state now,” said NWS meteorologist Kyle Fredin. “We are moving into a regular peak for unsettled weather.”
That unsettled weather is contributing to the continued need for flood warnings caused by a weeks-long spate of rainstorms. Warnings are expected to stay in place for areas along the South Platte and Cache La Poudre rivers through the week, according to the Weather Service.
Portions of east-central and northeast Colorado. east and central Adams and Arapahoe, Phillips, Sedgwick and Washington counties and other areas were under flood watches for most of the day Sunday. “The Eastern Plains have a host of flood warnings, especially along the Platte and Cache La Poudre,” Fredin said.
At about 1 p.m. Sunday, residents on the north side of Sterling, who were evacuated early Sunday morning, were told they could return home but cautioned that they should be prepared to leave quickly if expected storms trigger further flooding, the Northeast Public Affairs Collaborative announced.
“Any residents who have received a pre-evacuation or evacuation notice in the past 24 hours should be prepared to leave their area at a moment’s notice,” the NPAC, the emergency public information group for northeast Colorado, said on its Facebook page.
Officials issued the mandatory evacuation order after the North Sterling Reservoir inlet ditch overflowed its banks.
Twenty-seven people spent the night in an American Red Cross shelter.
Most arrived shortly after the evacuation notice went out at about 1:30 a.m., said Melody Storgaard, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross Northern Colorado Chapter. Personnel from both the Sterling police and fire departments went door-to-door to alert residents.
In Summit County, water is being drained out of Dillon Reservoir to make room for more runoff, which is good news for people in other Western states along the Colorado River.
The Dillon Reservoir is a big source of Denver’s water supply. But with the Mile High City and Front Range saturated, almost all of the water is heading west. “It’s really good news for the people in Lake Powell and Lake Mead and downstream that could really use the water,” Dillon Marina manager Bob Evans said.
Officials in El Paso and Pueblo counties said they will ask Gov. John Hickenlooper for a disaster declaration after being pounded by rain and flooding over the past three weeks.
“We need some sort of help,” said Tracy Tolle, who farms for Frank Masciantonio in Pueblo County and Clear Spring Ranch in El Paso County. “That’s our livelihood.”
In Colorado Springs, groundwater was so high it seeped into basements, damaging carpets and floors.
In Boulder County, farmers are battling through one of the wettest springs in 20 years, weary of conditions that have made it almost impossible to plant some crops and raising concerns about having to lay off workers.
Thunderstorms are expected to continue throughout the week.
“We don’t entirely dry out until next weekend,” said NWS meteorologist Todd Dankers. “There are not going to be any strong drying periods.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
