Flash flood warning issued for Cameron Peak Fire burn scar

Sarah Kyle, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·2 min read

Update, 5 p.m. Saturday, May 27: An additional flash flood warning has been issued for the eastern portion of the Cameron Peak Fire burn area. This warning is in effect until 8 p.m. and includes:

  • Moondance Way

  • Stringtown Gulch

  • Big Bear

  • Lower Buckhorn Canyon on County Road 27 above Masonville

  • The Retreat

  • Storm Mountain

As of just before 5 p.m., up to 0.2 inches of rain had fallen in the warning area, the weather service said. An additional 0.2 to 0.6 inches are expected.

Expected impacts include flash flooding of:

  • Small creeks and streams

  • Urban areas

  • Roads

  • Other poor drainage and low-lying areas

Debris flows and rock slides across rural roads can be expected, the weather service noted, and also could be triggered in steep terrain.

Original story: A flash flood warning is in effect for the Cameron Peak Fire burn area Saturday.

In its warning, which expires at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said thunderstorms are producing heavy rain in the area, with up to half an inch rain falling in the area as of about 2:15 p.m. and another half-inch possible in the warning area.

Debris flow — which can include rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials — is expected in some canyons within the burn scar, the weather service said.

More: What to know about Colorado's deadliest natural disasters, including key safety tips

The weather service also warned that small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses could be impacted by flash flooding, as could low-lying areas and those with poor drainage.

Impacted locations include "mainly the east central portion" of the burn scar in rural portions of central Larimer County, including:

  • Box Prairie

  • Upper Buckhorn along County Road 44H

  • Crystal Mountain

  • The Retreat

"Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life," the weather service said in its warning.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Flash flood warning issued for Cameron Peak Fire burn scar in Colorado