Flash flood warning shuts down I-70 through Glenwood Canyon

A flash flood informing for Eagle and Garfield counties, including the Grizzly Creek pain scar area, has unopen down Interstate 70 done Glenwood Canyon.

The flash flood informing was posted astatine 4:20 p.m. by the National Weather Service successful Grand Junction. The informing is posted though 7:15 p.m.

Flash Flood Warning including Eagle County, CO, Garfield County, CO until 7:15 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/3ALaybi7qi

— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) August 18, 2021

The canyon closed successful some directions from Glenwood Springs to Dotsero, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced astatine 4:36 p.m.

“This information closure was implemented successful effect to the National Weather Service forecasted flash flood WARNING implicit the Grizzly Creek Burn Scar,” CDOT said.

Motorists tin either question the bluish alternate way via Steamboat Springs oregon hold for the flash flood informing to expire. Drivers tin hold connected the highway.

At 4:20 p.m., doppler radar showed thunderstorms producing dense rainfall implicit the Grizzly Creek occurrence pain area, the upwind work said. The expected rainfall complaint is 0.7 to 1 inch successful 1 hour.

“Excessive rainfall implicit the pain scar volition effect successful debris flow
moving done the Glenwood Canyon area,” the upwind work said. “The debris travel tin dwell of rock, mud, vegetation and different escaped materials.”

Other areas that could acquisition flash floods are Glenwood Springs and Shoshone.

The upwind work described the flash floods arsenic a “life-threatening situation.” People caught successful flash floods are instructed to “climb to safety.”

“Turn around, don`t drown erstwhile encountering flooded roads,” the upwind work said. “Most flood deaths hap successful vehicles.”