[國際新聞] At least 1,000 await rescue from Colorado flooding Michael, least

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At least 1,000 await rescue from Colorado flooding as helicopter flights resume

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us ... -monday/?hpt=hp_bn1

By Michael Pearson and George Howell, CNN
updated 5:15 PM EDT, Mon September 16, 2013



Floodwaters surround a home in Jamestown, Colorado, on Sunday, September 15. Flooding in Colorado has washed away roads and bridges and flooded homes, and authorities warned that more rain was on the way. At least four people have been killed, and hundreds are unaccounted for, officials say. Floodwaters surround a home in Jamestown, Colorado, on Sunday, September 15. Flooding in Colorado has washed away roads and bridges and flooded homes, and authorities warned that more rain was on the way. At least four people have been killed, and hundreds are unaccounted for, officials say.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

    Stranded Guard members continue evacuating residents from flooded homes
    More than 3,000 families register for FEMA help, agency head says
    Some communities run low on food, water, officials say
    As many as 1,500 homes destroyed in one county, officials say

Longmont, Colorado (CNN) -- Food and water are running low in some of the Colorado communities cut off by epic flooding, but well-organized residents are holding their own while awaiting rescue, officials said Monday.

"Within the communities, all of these people are helping one another out," deputy incident commander Chuck Russell told reporters in Larimer County. "They're being very resourceful."

Helicopters from the U.S. Army and Colorado and Wyoming National Guards took to the air Monday morning, fanning out across the region to rescue people stranded across hundreds of square miles of Colorado flooded when intense rainfall last week pushed streams out of their banks and sent walls of water crashing down mountain canyons.

"Our birds are up and flying," the Wyoming National Guard tweeted. "If (you're) in trouble, we will find you! We will get you to safety!"

Among those cut off were 15 Colorado National Guard members and other emergency workers stranded Sunday when rising floodwater forced them to abandon efforts to evacuate residents from flooded areas near Lyons, a National Guard spokeswoman said.

U.S. Army helicopters rescued the civilian evacuees and some of the National Guard troops and emergency workers, Colorado Air National Guard Master Sgt. Cheresa Theiral said.

A local family offered shelter to the stranded Guard members Sunday night, and on Monday the Guard rescuers went back to work with a door-to-door evacuation of some 18 houses in the area, according to Guard Lt. James Goff.

Goff added that on Sunday, more than 90 residents in Boulder County were rescued by Guard members.

While rescue flights resumed Monday, hundreds of civilians stranded by the flooding face a similar plight -- and a potentially long wait with so many needing to be rescued.

More than 1,000 people in Larimer County alone were cut off and in need of rescue, officials said Monday. If they remain cut off by ground and military crews can't find a way to land helicopters for rescues, authorities will drop food and water to keep people going until rescues are possible, Russell said.

More than 600 people remained unaccounted for in Boulder and Larimer counties alone, officials said Monday. More than 1,200 had been reported unaccounted statewide as of Sunday night.

But while authorities said the presumed death toll of six could rise, most of the people on the unaccounted list are likely alive and well but have failed to check in with authorities to let them know, officials said Monday.