Debris Flow — La Plata, Colorado

2018-07-25 · near Trimble, La Plata, Colorado

Event narrative

A 4 to 5 foot wall of debris flowed down Tripp Creek Gulch at about 20 mph and spread out as it crossed County Road 203 and ran across the yards of several homes along Tripp Creek Road. Traffic across County Road 203 was temporarily restricted to one lane before the debris was cleared. Radar estimates three quarters of an inch to over an inch of rain fell with thunderstorms.

Wider weather episode

A shortwave trough pushed through the northern Rockies and brought an increase in moisture and the coverage of afternoon showers and thunderstorms to southwest Colorado. Storms produced heavy rain and debris flow in La Plata County over the 416 fire burn scar.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.4070, -107.8473)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 766174. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.