KLMO flooding

The press conferences today, got a new quote going. The Lt Col in charge of the airlift operations pointed out that it's likely the largest U.S. Military Airlift of U.S. Citizens since Katrina.

Over 500 people and 200 pets airlifted out of Lyons, CO alone. Complete numbers are much higher.

Water continued downhill as it's wont to do and Ft. Morgan is flooding tonight. Rain fell over much of the Ft Range again this afternoon after a brief break this morning.

It was forecast to rain all night and well into Sunday afternoon. Whatever changed that so far, is certainly welcome.

It may be months before people can return to Lyons or Jamestown and rebuild. Jamestown was virtually washed from the map.

Over 350 people unaccounted for and the official death toll stands at 5 right now.

My day was partially spent on the phone talking to radio infrastructure site managers. The roads to virtually every mountaintop radio tower site are gone. Failures of whole sites will require a helicopter to go troubleshoot and effect repairs. Many of these sites already become inaccessible in winter. This just sped it up this year.

Snow tonight in some areas about 11,000' MSL.
 
More rain and flood warnings across the region today.
 
About a month ago I was listening to a meteorologist and a climatologist discussing how, over the last few years, "systems" just don't seem to move like they used to. That they seem to get stuck more. Hence the reason we've been going through extended periods of drought and wet.

Here's a post I made in another thread in July 2013:

A lot of systems are being held in place. Around St. Louis, we've had a low just sitting here for days.

Could be systems are becoming longer lasting -- like the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, they may hang around for 400 years.
 
It's been raining today. A lot. Both heavily and nearly all day. While things improved a lot yesterday, I think they're as bad or worse now.

It's forecast to stop by Noon tomorrow. Hopefully...

I've heard "more than 1,000 evacuated by Blackhawk or Chinook." (And, shamefully, part of me is jealous because I've never ridden in a helicopter.)
 
News reports today stated 1500 airlifted by chinook and Blackhawks here to Boulder. Still more to come.the hangars here are all blocked by FEMA tents and a huge amount of equipment.
 
Lost the bet. AF1 is going to New York, and we're getting the 3 nm TFR for the Veep.

*whew*
 
Largest U.S. Citizen airlift since Katrina and an area the size of Connecticut under water at one point.
 
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