Weather forecasters have said Denver is expected to get slammed with rain this weekend. Now, the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District leaders on high alert.
Kevin Stewart is the Flood Warning Program Manager and said it looks like Denver is in for a long, sustained rain of several inches.
Stewart said this is cause for activation of the flood warning program for the first time this year. That means flood managers like Stewart begin to closely monitor the hundreds of rain gauges and water levels in local waterways for signs of flood danger.
“When thunder is happening and lightning, you've got convective activity and that's when you can get some of the heavier downpours of rain, so it'll be those intensities that come out of those convective storms that we'll be monitoring for flood threat," said Stewart. "If it's just going to be a general rain from Friday to Monday, rain 2 1/2 to 3 inches over that period of time, we're going to see rivers rise up, but we're probably not going to see any serious flood threat anywhere."
Stewart said while this storm isn’t likely to affect more than local trails that line waterways, this is another warning that spring is here and everyone should be cautious when out and about during or after storms.
"You don't really know what's below that water sometimes, sometimes it could be an erosion problem and the roadways gone and you don't know it," said Stewart.
You can learn more about the flood warning program on the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District’s website here.
---------
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.