Drivers in Denver metro area become stranded in floodwaters

Another round of thunderstorms moved into Colorado on Saturday, bringing rain and hail to areas across the Front Range.

As heavy rains accumulated, South Metro Fire Rescue says some drivers in Meridian Village to the west of Parker became stranded.

"About 2:30 p.m., storms came through. Heavy rain, also some hail as you can see. And it certainly clogged up this area here and created several very dangerous situations," the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said.

At the intersection of Meridian Boulevard and Maroon Circle, SMFR said approximately 2 to 3 feet of hail accumulated under the floodwaters.

"When we arrived at this intersection, there was about three feet of water and, from the surface, it just looked like water, and no one had any idea how deep it was. But underneath that surface of the water was two to three feet of hail that was underneath," they said.

Kevin Plamondon says he was driving home from work when he was caught in the flash flooding. As he reached the intersection, the water began to carry his vehicle away.

"As soon as I made it down here, there was a big dump truck, there were three cars, and they'd all made it through, so I thought I had enough time to make it through. As I made my way to the light pole, I felt the car pick up off the ground, and that's when I knew I was starting to float," said Plamondon. "At that point I couldn't do anything."

Plamondon said he had to act quickly and escaped through his car window, making his way through the water to the side of the road.

SMFR says that, between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., they were called to the scene of seven different water rescues. They said the rescues were from "stranded vehicles within intersections both in Douglas County and Arapahoe County east of I-25 as far east as Parker Road."

One young woman told CBS Colorado that she and two other drivers became stuck in the intersection of Alameda Avenue and South Havana Street in Aurora.

"I was crossing this, and I got stuck in the middle of the water, and I couldn't move. My car died, and a guy came with a truck and saved me," said Alisson Mora. "Other cars were passing, and I was just getting more and more water."

Aurora Fire Rescue says it responded to more than 15 emergency 911 calls as the storms rolled in around 2:30 p.m., including reports of vehicles stuck in flooded roadways with people trapped inside and homes flooding.

SMFR warned that conditions like these are dangerous and life-threatening and urged the community to avoid driving through floodwaters.

"Avoid all areas with standing water immediately. Never attempt to drive through flooded roadways under any circumstances. Turn around now and take an alternate route without delay," SMFR said. "Use extreme caution and give emergency crews the space they need to operate safely."

The community of Ken Caryl in the southwest metro area also saw a significant amount of hail as storms moved in on Saturday afternoon. A video sent to CBS Colorado shows ice covering nearby roads and yards.

Much of the Front Range is under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. More flooding is possible for parts of Northern Colorado into the evening as the weather system moves through.