More heavy rain was predicted to hit Colorado Saturday after flash flooding caused four fatalities and left thousands of residents stranded without food, water or power earlier in the week.
The flooding has affected a 4,500-square-mile area, which is almost the size of Connecticut, reports Weather.com.
Officials said 172 people were unaccounted for by late Friday, but no one was officially listed as "missing."
"The problem now is relatively little additional rainfall may trigger additional flash flooding," weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said. "With more areas of rain and scattered thunderstorms expected this weekend, a quick inch or so of rain in less than one hour may cause additional rises on already swollen creeks and rivers."
The flooding, which began overnight Wednesday, was triggered by unusually heavy late-summer storms that soaked parts of Colorado including Fort Collins near the Wyoming border south through Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs. Boulder and a string of other towns along the Front Range of the Rockies north of Denver were especially hard hit as water poured down rain-soaked mountains and spilled through canyons that funneled the runoff into populated areas.
The National Guard deployed over 375 troops across the state on helicopter rescue missions, said National Guard officials, reports the Chicago Tribune. Helicopter crews are also performing reconnaissance, scouting out the damage, searching for those stranded in their homes or on their roofs and transporting them to safety.
As of Friday night, National Guard air and ground crews had rescued more than 550 people, according to an official statement. But thousands more -- in towns including Lyons, Longmont and Jamestown -- still needed to be evacuated, officials said.
The National Weather Service in Boulder warned of scattered showers and thunderstorms later on Saturday and into Sunday that could trigger further flash flooding in the already drenched area. On Friday, Gov. John Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency for 14 counties which authorizes $6 million in federal funds to pay for flood response and recovery.
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