A potentially strong thunderstorm is headed for the 416 Fire burn scar, prompting flood warnings Thursday afternoon.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement that said Doppler radar was tracking the storm, which was about 14 miles northwest of Durango as of about 1:30 p.m.
The NWS says heavy rains are likely to hit parts of the 416 Fire burn scar and the Hermosa Creek drainage, which may lead to localized flooding.
The 416 Fire burned an estimated 54,000 acres north of Durango, mostly on national forest land in the Hermosa Creek drainage. Soils that have burned no longer have the ability to absorb water, so when heavy rains hit or when snow melts fast, there is the potential for destructive mudslides and debris flows.
These fears were realized last July and September when heavy rains brought down flooding that impacted a number of homes and businesses below the fire’s burn scar.
The NWS says this incoming storm may also bring winds in excess of 30 mph.
People are advised not to drive vehicles through flooded roadways.
A temporary radar system on Missionary Ridge allows the public to view incoming storms: https://arrc.ou.edu/px1000/.