(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — As the rain falls and water rises in Texas, people are questioning if the National Weather Service’s warnings were issued early enough for folks to get to safety.
“There are a lot of variables that lead or cause flash flooding in general it’s not just rainfall amounts,” said Justin Louen, a Service Hydrologist for the National Weather Service office in Pueblo.
Some of the variables include recent rainfall, moisture in the ground, and even river levels when it comes to flooding. Burn scars from wildfires create an additional layer in southern Colorado.
“When a fire goes through an area, it makes the land waterproof,” said FOX21 Meteorologist Megan Montero. “So, when you get any kind of storm, especially with excessive amounts of water in it, then it’s going to produce a flash flood.”
Floods can happen quickly, like the one in Manitou Springs in 2013. Warnings of potential heavy rainfall went out ahead of time, but experts say official flash flood warnings can only go out with so much time to spare.
“It’s not because we’re just kind of slacking off behind a computer and not watching things,” Montero said. “We are watching a storm starting to evolve and then increase in the amount of water that it’s going to produce.”
The criteria for a flash flood warning include rainfall amounts capable of causing a flash flood, along with extensions, increasing danger, or a reported flash flood.
“Once the criteria are met to where we finally have that full confidence that we anticipate flash flooding to occur, then at that point, we will issue the warning for that specific area,” Louen said.
Another concern with the flood risk is the current staffing levels at the National Weather Service after federal cuts to local agencies nationwide, which could affect the time it takes to get warnings out and create forecasts.
“It depends based on different offices in different cities, in different areas,” Montero said. “They’re going to have different ways that these cuts have affected them.”
FOX21 News reached out to the NWS about current staffing levels in the Pueblo office, but responded with this statement on staffing nationwide:
“NOAA leadership is taking steps to address those who took a voluntary early retirement option. NWS continues to conduct short-term Temporary Duty assignments (TDYs) and is in the process of conducting a series of Reassignment Opportunity Notices (RONs) to fill roles at NWS field locations with the greatest operational need. Additionally, a targeted number of permanent, mission-critical field positions will soon be advertised under an exception to the Department-wide hiring freeze to further stabilize frontline operations.”
Our meteorologist says, from her knowledge, staffing in the Pueblo office is solid.
“They’ve had to make a few kinds of adjustments, but for the most part, at least in southern Colorado, you are protected,” Montero said.
