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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I J I I ....- Colorado & The West Steve ~amp~ell, State/Region Editor ---:_892-5381 ___ (j;0f' J8$1<Ol.1loc", Mouo'-",^....... Bill Lund of Denver helps shovel mud away from Que Paso reStaurant In Rifle along Rifle Creek. Lund worked Sunday afternoon after major flooding m Colorado River tnbutanes hit the town Saturday night. Residents return as floods ease More than 100 go back home, but 8 families are displaced after water damages homes ByJoe~mdNlltalieSoto R~kYMoul</a,".Vtw3SJil/f1't1'\lm RIF1.[ - \1ore than 100 resI- dents along swollen mountain creeks relurned to their homes Sunday ntght as flooding subsided RIfle, about 25 miles west of Glenwood Spnngs on interstate 70, washll hardest by heavythun- ders/arms that filled streams already bnmmmg from spnng runoff, fueling flash floods At least eight families had to leave lherr damaged homes 5atur- day mght and probably will be dlS- placed for at least a week, fire marshal Mike Morgan saId. Damage was estimated at 580.000 10 $100,000. but no inJuries were reported. About 150 Rifle resIdents were evacuated Sunday after the NatJOnal Weather Ser;1ce Issued a flash-flood warning lor Parachute. RIfle and Government creeks, tnbutanes of the CoJorado River. Heavv rain sent waves of water down Rille Creek, but the water dId not leave its banks and was recedmg by 5 p.m. SundaY. A flood warning for east-centr'aJ Garfield Count)' expired late Sunday as uther creeks also subsIded, Water rips through homes ~- RIFLI - Fnends and family rushed to carry out the belong- ings of BiJJ and jannie Lee on Sunday as thunder rumbled in the hackground and firefighters warned residents of this north- western Colorado town to go to higher ground. It was the second day in a row the Lees had fled their home as ramstorms sent waves of water running down Rifle Creek. Dozens of people gathered Sunday afternoon on bridges to watch the expe<:ted flood, caus- ing a traffic jam. The water rose but did not leave its banks. Meanwhile, a flood watch covering 13 counties and form- mgahuge "r.:' along most of the western edge of Colorado and along the southwestern border was to last until 6 a.m. today, according to the National Weather Service. Authorities have been expecting flooding on the West- ern Slope from runoff of record snows in the high country last winter.: DeAnne Gulino, whose home was knockerl off its foun- dation by the first flash flood, directed a flow of vehicles, vol- unteer cars carrying the Lees' belongings. "It's a good town," said Culi- See RlFU on llA "We made it through the day," a Rifle police dispatcher said Sun- day night. "It's down quite consld- erably. and It hasn't rained for a couple of hours. We don't see any problerns fora while tonight:' However, the National Weather Service expects more thunder- showers throughout the state this afternoon, which could trigger another flash flood in the Western Slope c:omrnunitie~. A flood watch covenng 13 coun. ties and forming a huge "t' along western and southwestern Col- orado was to last until 6 a.m. today, weather service meteorologist Doug Baugh said. But m3ny residents were breathing a sigh of relief. "J kind of }Ud thlS feeling thaI things wasn't going to be that bad," said Sandy MWTIlY, whose home is 100 yards from Rille Creek, One woman walking home from a restaurant with several friends and five children Saturday mght got caught 10 3bout a foot of water rromRifleCreek "We went across the Rifle Creek bndge and heard a lot of. noise, the water rushmg and all," said Karen Reynolds. who has IlVed in Rifle for eight months. "Then as we were comlOg back oVer the bridge Wlththe kids,(the water) swiped us -aU the way across the road. "We were up 10 our knees m water m the road. Later that mghl. our neighbor's house was about halfway under," she said, addmg that a friend broke mto the house to save a poodle. Acat and five kit- tens were already dead Reynolds is worned about pas- siblefloodingl3ter. "I'm afraid we're going to lose everythingwe'vegot,"shesald. DeAnne Gulino was trapped 10 her home Saturday night when a cloudburst sent Rifle Creek roar. ingover its bank. Her home was knocked off Its foundation by the flash flood. Two volunteerfiretighters h3d 10 carry her through five or SIX feet of water in the house toa deck near. by. ''!'ve lost everythmg. but] still have my kids and my fallh." Guh- no said