At least one man has died in a mudslide that swept through Manitou Springs, an area about six miles west of Colorado Springs, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The mudslide that has also destroyed multiple homes and businesses in the area has left at least three other people unaccounted for, as of today.
Heavy rains throughout the week caused flash floods in the Colorado area; the wildfires that ripped through Waldo Canyon last year are what left soil stripped, unable to withstand the downpours. According to experts, these burned areas of soil are the root cause of the deadly mudslides now taking place.
Overnight on Friday, Manitou Springs reportedly received almost 1.5 inches of rainfall in under thirty minutes at one point. The National Weather Service is giving reports that flash flooding in the area will still be an issue on Saturday.
The man who was found deceased under debris on Colorado Highway 24 has not been identified at this time, and was not in a vehicle.
Areas throughout the United States have had similar reports of fatalities caused by flash flooding this week. Three other people drowned in other states because of similarly heavy rains.