Denver man collecting donations for southwest Colorado residents ahead of evacuations, expected flooding
Southwest Colorado is expected to get two to three more inches of rain again this weekend. While authorities urge residents in low-lying areas of Archuleta County to leave, a man in Denver is helping gather supplies for residents ahead of evacuations and another possible round of flooding.
The area flooded last weekend after picking up heavy precipitation, leaving communities damaged and still recovering.
"I think as the storm hit, it was much greater than what anyone anticipated," said Archuleta County Commissioner Warren Brown.
The community in the Four Corners area is once again under a flood watch for the weekend, and leaders say it will only delay recovery efforts.
"We were planning to move now with some sort of recovery, but we now have to go back to perhaps a response," said Archuleta County Manager Longinos Gonzalez Jr.
According to the National Weather Service, the area could receive anywhere from two to three inches of precipitation, which is a problem for already saturated soil.
"The San Juan River, Pagosa Springs has bumped up to exceed minor flood stage," said Erin Walter, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service's Grand Junction office.
But at least a little help is on the way for people who may need it. A veteran from the Denver metro area named "Big Tony" or "Big T" is collecting much-needed supplies for them.
"Nature doesn't discriminate. This can happen to anybody," said Big T.
He spent Friday at Heather Gardens in Aurora gathering donations and will do the same Saturday morning.
"The usual items: nonperishable food, diapers, baby formula, bleach is a huge one because of all the mold that they got down there right now," said Big T.
Saturday afternoon, he plans to load up his trucks and make the 6.5-hour drive to Pagosa Springs to give everything away.
"But that could change because we're expecting another 2.5 inches of rain on Sunday," Big T said.
Emergency managers in southwest Colorado are already mobilizing for the storm. Rio Grande County is assisting towns in the area and has set up an incident command center. The Archuleta County Sheriff's Office is telling residents in low-lying areas to evacuate.
Archuleta County leaders say the community is resilient, but they may need help from the federal government.
"We're asking that President Trump and his staff declare a major disaster declaration. And so, our community and our residents have access to FEMA aid that allows us to continue to work together to recover not only from last week's storm, but likely from this storm, that it will hit us within the next couple of days," said Brown.
They also say residents are already struggling with the loss.
"I think the aftermath of the storm has left people really shaken and unsure," said Brown. "I spoke to a family just today and was asking them if they had the services they needed, or what we could do for them, and the gentleman that I was talking to just broke down crying in gratitude."
Big T. says that's why he is determined not to let the ominous forecast deter him from helping.
"The good man upstairs has made sure with all the prayers that people pray for me to go down and come back," said Big T.
Big T. says he is also taking donations to help pay for diesel for his truck because of the high cost.
Those who want to help can drop off donations from 8 a.m. to 12:30 pm on Saturday at Heather Gardens in Aurora, Homes and Design in Denver, or Scudder Press in Thornton.
