4:39 p.m.: The intersection at 6th Avenue and Powhaton Road in Aurora has reopened, police announced on Twitter.
Crews working quick- 6th and Powhattan is OPEN.
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD)
3:52 p.m.: Power is restored and traffic signals are back on at the intersection of East Alameda Avenue and Havana Street, according to the Aurora Police Department. The intersection was shut down by floodwater but is now reopen.
2:45 p.m.: Floodwater at Havana Street and East Alameda Avenue in Aurora has receded, but the intersection remains closed until power and traffic lights are restored.
UPDATE: All flood waters at Havana & Alameda have receded and the roadway is clear.
All power is still out and we are advised in may be another 6 hours before power is restored.
The road closure must remain in place until power and traffic signals are restored.
Please continue…
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD)
2:30 p.m.: Where does the recent rainfall rank in Denver history? Two-day total of 3.75 inches ranks third highest in city’s history for that time frame. Thursday’s one-day total of 2.92 inches is 8th highest one-day total in Denver.
With the rain coming to an end, where does the recent rainfall rank in Denver's history?
Rain totals:
May 10 – 0.65"
May 11 – 2.92"
May 12 – 0.83"1-day total: 2.92" is ranked 8th highest
2-day total: 3.75" is ranked 3rd highest
3-day total: 4.40" is ranked 5th highest— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
2:14 p.m.: Several roads in Arapahoe County remain closed because of flooding, standing water and road damage from stormy weather. The public can .
Heads up, Arapahoe County! Several roads are closed to passenger vehicles due to high water levels. Check roadway closures here:
— Arapahoe County (@ArapahoeCounty)
11:41 a.m.: Traffic lights are out along U.S. 85, also signed as Santa Fe Drive, at Midway Drive/Town Center Drive in Littleton, according to Colorado State Patrol.
TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUT: Santa Fe (H85) and Midway/Town Center. Stop signs in place, treat as a four way stop! Take turns, be patient, crews are on scene working.
— CSP Castle Rock (@CSP_CastleRock)
11:29 a.m.: Colorado 2 is closed between E. 96th and E. 104th avenues due to flooding, according to the Commerce City Police Department. There is no estimated time of reopening.
🚨 Traffic Alert 🚨
Hwy 2 is closed from E. 96th Ave. to E. 104th Ave. due to flooding.
There is no ETA for reopening.
— Commerce City Police Department (@CommerceCityPD)
11:13 a.m.: Flooding has knocked out power near the intersection of E. Alameda Avenue and Havana Street, including to traffic lights, the Aurora Police Department noted on Twitter. Traffic remains limited to one lane on northbound Havana, but southbound lanes are not affected.
The flooding has knocked out power in the area of Alameda and Havana, including to traffic lights. Conditions are improving, but we can’t reopen the roads until power is restored.
Traffic is still down to one lane on NB Havana. SB unaffected.
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD)
11:07 a.m.: The Fort Lupton Fire Department reported on Twitter that the South Platte River is starting to top its banks in many areas to the west of U.S. 85. The notice stated that Wattenberg residents should be prepared for high waters on Weld County Road 6.
The S. Platte River is starting to exceed the banks in many areas to the west of Hwy 85. Use extreme caution. Do not drive through flooded areas. The river is expected to peak later this afternoon and early evening. Wattenburg residents should be aware of rising waters on CR 6.
— Fort Lupton Fire (@FLFPD)
Other road closures in Weld County include:
- Weld County Road 6 from Weld County Road 23 to U.S. 85,
- Weld County Road 8 from Weld County Road 23 to U.S. 85,
- Weld County Road 16 from Weld County Road 71 to Weld County Road 73,
- Weld County Road 16 from Weld County Road 73 to Weld County Road 77,
- Weld County Road 42 from Weld County Road 45 to Weld County Road 47,
- Weld County Road 48 from Weld County Road 43 to Weld County Road 45,
- Weld County Road 50 from Weld County Road 59 to Weld County Road 61,
- Weld County Road 61 from U.S. 34 to Weld County Road 50,
- Weld County Road 57 from Weld County Road 76 to Weld County Road 78,
- Weld County Road 74 from Colorado 392 to Weld County Road 79,
- Weld County Road 76 from Weld County Road 51 to Weld County Road 53, and
- Weld County Road 100 from Weld County Road 89 to Weld County Road 390.
Motorists can check their route through Weld County on the county’s infrastructure map at before departing to check for other road closures.
10:53 a.m.: Adams County announced several other road closures tied to flooding Friday morning in a news release. Roads that are closed until further notice include:
- 26th Avenue between Yulle Road and Wolf Creek Road,
- 64th Avenue between Piggott Road and Wolf Creek Road,
- Piggott Road from 80th to 88th avenues,
- Old Victory Road from Colo. 36 to Colo. 79,
- 72nd Avenue from Bradbury-Krebs Road to Xmore Road,
- Road 15, from Bradbury-Krebs Road to Xmore Road,
- 26th Avenue from Strasburg Road to Comanche Drive,
- 26th Avenue from Piggott Road to Yulle Road,
- 48th Avenue from Strasburg Road to Piggott Road,
- 112th Avenue from Headlight Road to Nordbye Road,
- 112th Avenue from Behrens Road to Horrogate Road,
- 72nd Avenue from Converse Road to Colo. 79,
- 80th Avenue from Schumaker Road to Colo. 79,
- Cameron Drive from Guy Court to O’Brien Way,
- Converse Road from 128th to 144th avenues,
- Converse Road from 88th to 112th avenues,
- E. 112th Avenue from SH 79 to Converse Road,
- 104th Avenue at Manilla Road and at Tumbleweed Court,
- 64th Avenue from Converse Road to Schumaker Road,
- Converse Road from 88th to 64th avenues,
- 72nd Avenue at Converse Road and SH 79
- 80th Avenue from SH 79 to Schumaker Road, and
- 112th Avenue from Himalaya Road to Picadilly Road.
10:17 a.m.: U.S. 85 has reopened in both directions from Colorado 60 to County Road 29, according to a CDOT tweet.
southbound: Roadway reopened to traffic between County Road 29 and CO 60.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
10:10 a.m.: Aurora Fire Rescue officials announced that their swift water rescue team found and saved a man who was stranded in his truck amid the rising waters of Box Elder Creek early Friday near the intersection of 56th Avenue and Jackson Gap Street. The truck had reportedly been at the location for several days.
Rescuers walked in the rising waters for about a half mile to reach the truck and found it partially flooded with the man inside.
“Firefighters used their bodies and equipment to block the energy of the flowing water and walked the man up to safety.” Nobody was injured and firefighters gave the man “a courtesy ride” home.
Aurora Fire Rescue's Swift Water Rescue Team found & rescued a stranded man in the early morning hours. Incident occurred near 56th Ave./Hudson Rd. See the Full News Release here:
Members continue their training today preparing for anticipated rescues.
— Aurora Fire Rescue (@AuroraFireDpt)
Aurora Fire Rescue's Swift Water Rescue Team found & rescued a stranded man in the early morning hours. Incident occurred near 56th Ave./Hudson Rd. See the Full News Release here:
Members continue their training today preparing for anticipated rescues.
— Aurora Fire Rescue (@AuroraFireDpt)
9:20 a.m.: Colorado Department of Transportation officials warned on of pooled water on roads around metro Denver and advised drivers to expect slow traffic. CDOT officials announced closures of northbound U.S. 85 north from Platteville (milepost 253 to milepost 255); Colorado 52 south of Wiggins from County Road G to County Road H (milepost 61 to milepost 63); and Colorado 79 north of Bennett (milepost 2.5 to milepost 6.5).
9:15 a.m.: Aurora police reported “several vehicles” disabled near the intersection of Havana and Alameda due to flooding and the eastbound and westbound lanes have been closed. Southbound lanes remained open.
: Eastbound and westbound traffic is closed at the intersection of Havana and Alameda due to flooding. Southbound lanes are unaffected. Northbound traffic is down to one lane.
Do not enter the water. Several vehicles have become disabled.
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD)
9:06 a.m: Coal Creek in Erie along the northern Front Range was flooding. Mountain View Fire Rescue officials, in a on Twitter, advised drivers near Cheeseman Street to “turn around and don’t drown.” Creek waters were starting to flow over the top of a bridge.
We are getting some reports of flooding in our area. This photo is of Coal Creek in Erie at Cheeseman Street, where the creek is starting to overtop the bridge.
Use extreme caution if you see water over a roadway. There is good reason we use the phrase: Turn Around Don't Drown.
— Mountain View Fire Rescue (@MVFireRescue)
8:53 a.m.: “Due to heavy rainfall, many of our rivers, creeks, and streams have reached unsafe levels, and ALL Adams County Trails including South Platte River, Clear Creek, Niver Creek, and Little Dry Creek are closed,” . “Please stay safe and we will notify you as soon as they reopen.”
7:46 a.m. overall weather outlook: Colorado’s wet weather likely will continue through Friday, and flooding from the record-setting rainfall has forced road closures but is expected to dissipate late in the day.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for metro Denver, the mountain foothills and high plains effective through noon. Water was pooling on walkways and roads. Some streams and rivers flowed over their banks.
Parts of Colorado’s Front Range urban corridor and eastern Colorado plains will receive more rain Friday afternoon. By evening the rain — and snow in the high mountains of western Colorado — will end, weather service forecasters said.
The high temperature in Denver will be 61 degrees Friday, decreasing to a low of 45 degrees at night, forecasters said. Partly sunny skies over metro Denver are expected Saturday with a high temperature of around 65 degrees, decreasing to a high of 57 degrees Sunday. Rain and thunderstorms are likely through the weekend and early next week, forecasters said.
Rainfall measured at 2.92 inches Thursday at Denver International Airport shattered the daily rainfall record of 1.55 inches set in 2011, weather service meteorologists announced Friday morning.
7:28 a.m.: Colorado Department of Transportation officials re-opened U.S. 6, both eastbound and westbound lanes, between west metro Denver and Interstate 70, after earlier closures for safety due to flood dangers.
7:14 a.m.: Weather service officials announced a flood warning effective through 3 p.m. that Cherry Creek, from around Parker downstream to Cherry Creek Reservoir, is expected to flow over banks in lowlands and meadows.
7:12 a.m.: Weather service officials announced a flood warning that Big Dry Creek may flood from the Thornton area to the confluence with the South Platte River near Fort Lupton. Weather service officials also advised drivers to avoid 144th Avenue between York and Washington streets because water was flowing over the road.
New record of daily rainfall of 2.92 inches at the Denver Airport shattered the previous record of 1.55 inches in 2011 on May 11, 2023.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
6:39 a.m.: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge officials closed their Wildlife Drive due to flooding and warned that “First Creek is flowing very high,” advising visitors not to enter or cross floodwaters.
5:25 a.m.: Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced closures of U.S. 6, both eastbound and westbound lanes, between west metro Denver and Interstate 70 due to flood dangers.
westbound: Road closed due to safety concerns between I-70 and Mile Point 222.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
5:16 a.m.: Weather service officials based in Boulder extended a flood watch through noon, saying more rain will fall as scattered storms hover over the Front Range through Friday afternoon, diminishing Friday evening.
4:40 a.m.: Thornton police closed roads due to flooding: East 144th Avenue between Washington and York Streets; York Street between E-470 and East 156th Avenue; East 156th Avenue between York Street and Colorado Boulevard
westbound: Road closed due to safety concerns between I-70 and Mile Point 222.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
Road closures due to flooding:
-E 144th Ave closed between Washington & York Streets
-York St closed between E-470 & E 156th Ave
-E 156th Ave closed between York St & Colorado BlvdDetour info in the pics, courtesy of the City of Thornton T-Alerts ()
— Thornton Police Dept (@ThorntonPolice)
Other road closures reported early Friday included: one northbound lane of Interstate 225 near the intersection with Colfax Avenue; the Lake View Road inside the Cherry Creek State Park from the Cottonwood Creek Trail to the 12 Mile Trail.
The 2.92 inches of rain measured at DIA over one day ranked 8th highest in recorded history for Denver, according to weather service records.
The 2.92 inches of rain that fell at KDEN was the 8th highest 1-day precipitation total for Denver.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
10:54 p.m. Thursday: Broomfield police closed Spader Way from Community Park Road to Descombes Drive due to street flooding and advised residents to avoid the area and not try to cross flooded sidewalks.
