Colorado weather blog: Severe storms overnight cause flooding in Evergreen area

DENVER — While the risk of severe weathers lower Thursday than Wednesday, a few storms could produce some heavy rain and larger hail, especially across the southeastern plains.

The Denver7 weather team is tracking the continuing severe weather Thursday, as well as the flash flooding and damage from storms Wednesday.

Seeing severe weather in your community? Send us a photo or video at newstips@denver7.com.

Stay alert if you’re in an area that is under a watch or warning, and keep an eye on radar as storms develop and move east. The Denver7 News team is tracking the latest severe weather alerts and storm reports below.

LINKS: Latest forecast | Radars | Traffic | Weather Page | 24/7 Weather Stream

Thursday, June 25

9:52 a.m. | Jeffco home, bridge damage | Flooding damage was reported along Bear Creek in Kittridge, with water line markings of approximately 2 to 3 feet on the sides of homes on Avenue F Bridge along the creek, according to the Jeffco Sheriff's Office.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

Two bridges also washed out near Troublesome Gulch, the sheriff's office said.

9:52 a.m. | Bear Creek trail closures | Flooding has temporarily closed trails along Bear Creek, according to the City of Lakewood and Bear Creek Lake Park.

Officials advised visitors to be mindful of debris and water levels out of the reservoir.

Bear Creek Lake Park, City of Lakewood

9:46 a.m. | Highway 6 prolonged closure | Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says "it might be tonight" before Highway 6 reopens west of Golden after several rock slides caused the closure of the highway overnight.

9:02 a.m. | Washington Co. closure | The Washington County Sheriff's Office Administrative Offices are closed Thursday due to flooding in the office.

8:34 a.m. | Akron tree dump | The Town of Akron said residents could take tree limbs brought down by this week's storms and other natural storm debris to the Akron Tree Dump. The roads to the dump are open and accessible, the town said on Facebook.

7:55 a.m. | Highway 6 rock slide | A rock slide closed Highway 6, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said. The slide stretches 175 feet long and 3 feet deep west of Tunnel 3, according to CDOT.

CDOT

Crews are on scene to clean up the rocks and mud and investigate the rock slide area. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and take Interstate 70 as a detour. 

CDOT

7:32 a.m. | Evergreen Lake closure | Evergreen Lake is closed after the severe rain event Wednesday night into Thursday, causing flooding that deposited debris into the lake, creating unsafe boating conditions, according to the town's parks and recreation district.

Those interested and call the hotline for updates at 720-880-1391.

7:19 a.m. | Washington County road closure | County Road RR is closed from Otis to Highway 36 until further notice due to flooding, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.

Washington County Sheriff's Office

6:39 a.m. | Evergreen post-flooding hazards | Several mud and rock slides occurred overnight, damaging or washing out private bridges, according to Evergreen Fire/Rescue.

The agency asks drivers delay departure to allow crews additional time to assess conditions and clear roadways. Due to the volume of incidents, Evergreen Fire/Rescue said response times for non-emergency calls may be delayed.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue

4:30 a.m. | Thursday morning forecast | More scattered storms and showers are likely throughout the day, with a risk of severe weather across the Eastern Plains, according to Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo. The risk of severe storms is lower than Wednesday but a few could produce some heavy rain and larger hail, especially across the southeastern plains.

3:12 a.m. | Bear Creek flooding | 1.5 to 3.5 inches of rain in the Evergreen area has prompted a rapid rise in water levels along Bear Creek in Jefferson County with reports of damaged bridges, according to the National Weather Service Boulder.

NWS Boulder

"Avoid low water crossings and heed any road closures. Be particularly cautious if driving in or near canyons in the Evergeen, Kittredge, Idledale, and Morrison areas this morning," NWS Boulder said.

3:06 a.m. | Highway 74 debris | Kittridge residents are advised to be aware of heavy debris on Highway 74 all the way from Evergreen, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office posted on X. Troublesome Gulch Road and Highway 74 are especially impacted. The roads are open, but drivers are asked to proceed with caution.

1:08 a.m. | Cactus Jack's flooding | The Evergreen saloon and grill Cactus Jack's posted photos on Facebook early Thursday morning of flooding and damage to the restaurant. The business said this happened to the owners before back in 2013 but it wasn't as severe.

Cactus Jack's Saloon & Grill

Wednesday, June 24

10:35 p.m. | Latest forecast looking overnight | Denver7's Danielle Grant provides the latest forecast as severe storms move out of Denver, but continue on the eastern plains. Watch her report from 10:30 p.m. below.

10:30 p.m. | Concert cancellation | Red Rocks said the Ziggy Markley & Stephen Marley concert planned for tonight has been officially canceled due to the weather.

10:10 p.m. | Morgan County flooding | Morgan County Ambulance Service (MCAS) posted photos on Facebook of the impact of heavy rain, flash flooding and large hail over the last 48 hours, creating challenging conditions across the community.

Morgan County Ambulance Service

Morgan County Ambulance Service

10:02 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning | Severe thunderstorms are impacting the South Metro area, including Littleton, Englewood and Centennial. Winds may reach 50 mph. Quarter-sized hail is possible. This warning expires at 10:30 p.m.

9:18 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning | This warning expires at 10 p.m. and includes Strasburg and Byers.

9 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning in Fort Morgan | This warning spans the Fort Morgan, Brush and Hillrose areas. It expires at 9:45 p.m.

8:31 p.m. | Morgan County Sheriff's Office hail damage | The sheriff's office reported that several of its patrol vehicles parked in Fort Morgan were damaged by the hail on Wednesday. Nobody was injured, the sheriff's office said.

Morgan County Sheriff's Office

7:45 p.m. | Tornado warning | The communities of Raymer and Buckingham are under this warning until 8:15 p.m.

7:30 a.m. | Significant flooding in Akron | The Town of Akron is reporting significant flooding within the town. Multiple homes and basements have been impacted, it said.

"Town crews are actively out clearing storm drains and drainage inlets to keep water moving and reduce additional flooding wherever possible," the town wrote on social media. "We ask residents to stay safe, avoid driving through flooded streets, and, if it is safe to do so, keep nearby storm drains clear of debris to help water flow."

7:22 p.m. | Severe storms continue into the evening hours | The NWS reports that these severe storms are possible along the I-25 corridor and adjacent plains later this evening.

6:54 p.m. | Tornado warning | This warning includes Washington County and expires at 7:30 p.m.

6:41 p.m. | Confirmed tornado | The NWS has confirmed a tornado 4 miles east of St. Petersburg and 23 miles west of Holyoke. It is moving southeast at 20 mph.

6:38 p.m. | Tornado warning | This warning for the communities of Haxtun and Dailey is in place until 7:15 p.m.

6:36 p.m. | Tornado warning | This warning is in place until 7:15 p.m. around Grover.

6:32 p.m. | Flash flood warning | This warning includes Cokedale, Jansen and Segundo in southern Colorado until 8:45 p.m. Wednesday.

6:18 p.m. | Tornado confirmed | A confirmed tornado was located 5 miles north of Fleming, or 19 miles northeast of Sterling. It is moving 20 mph. The NWS says that law enforcement confirmed the tornado.

6:14 p.m. | Tornado warning | A tornado warning is in effect for the town of Fleming after a confirmed tornado was located 5 miles northwest of Fleming, or 19 miles northeast of Sterling, moving southeast at 15 mph. The warning expires at 6:45 p.m.

5:49 p.m. | Tornado warning | A tornado warning has been issued for northeastern Logan County, near the communities of Proctor and Crook. The warning expires at 6:30 p.m. Tennis ball-sized hail is possible.

5:16 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning around Akron | This warning will remain in place until 6 p.m. Winds may reach 60 mph.

5 p.m. | Delays, cancellations at DIA | There are a total of 19 cancellations and 521 delays at Denver International Airport as of 5 p.m., according to FlightAware.

4:30 p.m. | Weather update | Denver7 meteorologist Danielle Grant has the latest forecast after two tornado warnings went into effect in Logan and Morgan counties. Watch in the video below:

4:22 p.m. | Tornado warnings | Two tornado warnings are in effect until 5 p.m.:

— One is in effect for south central Logan County, eastern Morgan County and north central Washington County until 5 p.m. after a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Prewitt Reservoir, or 18 miles southwest of Sterling, moving southeast at 15 mph.

— The other is in effect for Morgan County after a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 4 miles northeast of Adena School, or 6 miles south of Fort Morgan, moving southeast at 15 mph.

4:15 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning | A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Fort Morgan, Brush and Log Lane Village until 4:45 p.m. Forecasters said this destructive storm will contain baseball-sized hail, 60 mph winds along with the possibility of a tornado.

4:02 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning | A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Morgan County until 4:30 p.m. Forecasters said this destructive storm will contain baseball-sized hail.

3:50 p.m. | Tornado watch | A tornado watch is now in effect for northeast Colorado, including the following counties: Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma, Adams, Arapahoe, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Elbert, and Cheyenne.

Scattered hail may reach the size of a softball and a couple tornadoes are possible, according to the NWS.

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