DENVER — Severe thunderstorms brought hail and flooding to the Denver metro area Thursday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for much of the metro area Thursday afternoon and evening.
A Flash Flood Warning was issued for an area including Bennett and Watkins. Residents were advised to move to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
Bennett-Watkins Fire said areas of Highway 36 between Watkins and Bennett were flooded, and that crews were working an active water rescue incident near Highway 36 and Peterson Road with South Metro Fire Rescue.
The fire department said multiple roads were flooded or washed out. There were reports of several vehicles stuck near 88th Avenue and Schumaker Road due to areas of impassable flooding.
The heavy rain flooded other roads, as well, including the southbound lanes of Interstate 25 at 23rd Avenue. Two of the four lanes were blocked Thursday afternoon.
The Denver Fire Department said a vehicle was submerged near West 38th Avenue and Fox Street. Dive crews searched the vehicle and confirmed that no one was trapped inside. The fire department warned motorists not to drive through standing water.
NWS issued a Tornado Watch through 9 p.m. for the northern Front Range and eastern plains including the Denver metro area, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley, Fort Morgan, and Sterling. The Watch also included parts of Wyoming and Nebraska.
Denver International Airport was under a ground delay, with delays of an hour and 44 minutes due to thunderstorms. According to FlightAware, there were 753 cancellations and 182 cancellations as of 7 p.m.
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More storms are possible for Friday, but the risk for severe weather will be considerably lower; however, the flood risk will increase for Friday with slower-moving storms.
Downslope winds Saturday bringing warmer and drier conditions with little change for Sunday. More isolated storms return for Saturday and this weekend, with a relatively low risk for severe weather each day.
Storms return to the forecast
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