More heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to crash down onto El Paso County Thursday, bringing a potential for more flash floods following rushing waters that swept through parts of the county Wednesday, according to weather officials.

Forecast models from the National Weather Service in Pueblo estimate there could be at least an inch of rainfall in a short period of time for areas across Colorado Springs Thursday, said NWS Meteorologist Kyle Mozley. Areas that were hit heavily yesterday have the most risk for flooding. 

Weather alert: Flash flooding, evacuations in Manitou Springs amid storm alerts in southern Colorado

Numbers from the National Weather Service in Pueblo showed Manitou Springs saw 1.89 inches of rain in less than two hours, and Fountain saw 2.5 inches of rain in less than an hour on Wednesday. The rapid rise of Fountain Creek in Manitou prompted officials to evacuate portions of the city, including its city hall and 55 guests from Pikes Peak RV Park.

“The place was in a panic,” said Don Happy, a person from Texas who is staying at the RV campsite. “Everyone was scrambling to hook up their RVs here. … It was organized chaos.”

Happy, 58, and his wife were driving into the site as the water level rose, seeing other guests pack up their belongings as they got ready to leave. After a quick stop, the two got back on the road and drove half a mile to Manitou Springs High School, to where guests were being evacuated.   

“My wife was especially concerned because of the souls that were lost in the Texas flood, and so she was in tears, and she wanted out immediately, and I didn’t want to waste time trying to hook up the RV. We got the dog, I got my dirt bike and we got out and left everything else because it’s not worth it to try to save material things when you’re in a situation like that,” Happy said. 

Across the Colorado Springs area, the west and southwest saw the most rain, with roughly about 1-1.25 inches falling within an hour and a half, according to Mozley.

Mozley pointed to saturated soil being a big concern for these areas. “The soils are already saturated, so they can’t absorb more water, which could cause more flooding issues,” Mozley said.

Despite the potential for more flooding, Manitou Springs officials said the city is more than prepared.

“Because we’re in the flood plain, city staff and emergency responders proactively prepare throughout the year for situations like this,” said city spokesperson Cassandra Hessel. 

Hessel said one of the city’s top priorities is maintaining its storm drains on a constant basis to prepare for flooding situations.

“Today, (emergency responders) are focusing on making sure there aren’t any issues or clogs to storm drains and are out actively taking care of them,” she said. 

No damages or injuries from yesterday’s flood were reported, and guests from the Pikes Peak RV Park were able to go back to their mobile homes a couple hours later, Hessel said.

Small snippets of the chaos could be seen at the RV park and its surrounding area Thursday. Grass was flattened to the ground due to the rushing water, and bits of debris scattered the sidewalks and streets along Manitou Avenue.

Happy, who arrived at the park a week ago, said the water in Fountain Creek turned a “chocolate milk” color and rose at least seven feet, threatening to flood out from the creek, which was right next to their RV. Water was also pouring down into the campground from uphill.  

“That really freaked us out, especially with the Texas flooding happening,” he said, adding it was his first time he’s been in a flooding situation like that. “All too often people kind of dismiss flood warnings, but once you see how fast it can rise, it really wakes you up.” 

In cases where residents need to evacuate due to flooding, the city has a deal with Manitou schools to let residents use the middle and high schools that are at a higher elevation as evacuation centers. 

Hessel encouraged Manitou residents to sign up for Peak Alerts and the local alert system, which can be found on the city’s website.  

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