Overview
- Sunday's storm produced a Flash Flood Emergency after about 1 to 1.5 inches of rain fell in roughly 90 minutes near the Aspen Acres burn scar, and fast runoff swept a man away.
- The Pueblo County Coroner identified the victim as 80-year-old Henry "Hank" Humphreys and multi-agency ground and air searches led a Flight for Life crew to his body about two miles downstream.
- Residents say this was at least the fourth major flood since the Aspen Acres fire and describe repeated property damage, clogged bridges and growing fatigue from constant cleanup.
- The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is conducting preliminary damage assessments with FEMA and the SBA to decide whether to request a Major Presidential disaster declaration that would unlock broader federal aid.
- Burn scars leave soil that repels water and remove vegetation, which causes rapid runoff and debris flows after short, intense storms, a risk that is heightened during the region's monsoon season and strains older residents who must repeatedly haul sandbags and clear debris.