A thunderstorm produced very heavy rain, which flooded areas around to town of San Luis.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A thunderstorm produced very heavy rain, which flooded areas around to town of San Luis.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 14, 2:21 PM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 321 PM MDT FRI AUG 14 2009 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND SATURDAY) ...SEVERE POTENTIAL EASTERN BORDER COUNTIES THIS EVENING... UPPER MONSOONAL WAVE TREKKING EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON...DELIVERING LIFT AND MOISTURE. MODEL GENERATED SOUNDINGS FOR LAMAR AT 4 PM MDT...SUGGEST OVER 1500 J/KG OF CAPE...LIS OF -3 TO -4...HELICITIES OF 143 AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF OVER 1.5 INCHES. SO FAR...POPCORN CONVECTION DEVELOPING OVER THE PLAINS HAS BEEN RATHER SHALLOW AND MOVING ALONG BRISKLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30-35 MPH. HOWEVER...50 DBZ CORE HEIGHTS HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY INCREASING OVER THE PAST 2 HOURS...AND ARE NOW APPROACHING 22000 FT AGL OVER KIOWA COUNTY...NEAR EADS. AS STORMS WORK EAST INTO INCREASING CAPE...WOULD EXPECT THIS GROWING CORE HEIGHT TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. THERE ARE ALSO SOME BIGGER CELLS (CORE HEIGHTS APPROACHING 30000 FT AGL) JUST EAST OF PROWERS AND BACA COUNTIES IN WESTERN KANSAS. THESE CELLS ARE IN BETTER MOISTURE AND BETTER SHEAR...SO HAVE TO WATCH DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER IN THIS AREA TOO. ROTATION WISE...HAVENT SEEN A WHOLE LOT FROM CELLS YET TODAY. THE 2 CELLS OVER KIOWA COUNTY HAVE BEEN SHOWING SOME WEEK MID LEVEL CIRCULATION BUT NOTHING VERY STRONG OR WELL DEFINED. LITTLE IF ANY ROTATION NOTED IN THE NEAR SURFACE SCANS. SHEAR VALUES WILL BE GRADUALLY INCREASING OVER THE EASTERN BORDER COUNTIES THROUGH EARLY EVENING...SO THE POTENTIAL FOR CELL ROTATION WILL ALSO BE GOING UP DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WILL NEED TO CONTINUE CLOSE MONITORING. STORM THREATS THIS EVENING WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHTNING...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HEAVY RAIN. HOWEVER...IF A STORM CAN ROTATE....POTENTIAL FOR EVEN LARGER HAIL EXISTS. BELIEVE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL BE LIMITED THIS EVENING BY RAPID STORM MOVEMENT. HOWEVER...COULD STILL BE SOME LOCAL MINOR FLOODING ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH INTENSE DOWNPOURS (1.50+ INCHES PRECIPITABLE WATER AVAILABLE). FARTHER WEST...INCLUDING THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND WESTWARD...ADDITIONAL SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED YET THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING...WITH THE MAIN THREATS LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...AND LOCALLY BRIEF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS. AFTER THIS MONSOONAL WAVE MOVES THROUGH LATER THIS EVENING...SOUTHERN COLORADO SHOULD BE IN FOR A WARMER AND DRIER DAY SATURDAY. THE APPROACHING PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHORTWAVE WILL KICK THE CURRENT MONSOON PLUME EAST OUT OF COLORADO...LEAVING A MUCH DRIER AIRMASS IN PLACE. DESPITE THE DECREASED MOISTURE...THE 18Z NAM12 STILL HAS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHORTWAVE PROVIDING SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LIFT AS IT SWINGS ACROSS THE COLORADO PLATEAU SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ALSO...WITH THE INCREASING JETSTREAM WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM...SHEAR VALUES GO WAY UP. SO...WILL KEEP ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. WITH THE SHEAR VALUES UP...WILL NOT RULE OUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A SEVERE STORM OR TWO ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...INCLUDING THE PALMER DIVIDE. LW .LONG TERM... (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ...POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER SUNDAY AND MONDAY... LOOKS LIKE A RETURN TO ACTIVE WEATHER FOR THE PLAINS BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND AND CONTINUING AT TIMES THROUGH NEXT WEEK. A COUPLE OF FAIRLY STRONG SHORTWAVES WILL MOVE THROUGH SRN CANADA AND THE NRN ROCKIES DURING THIS PERIOD...THE FIRST ON SUNDAY AND THEN ANOTHER SYSTEM WED NIGHT. THIS WILL LEAD TO UPSLOPE FLOW OVR THE PLAINS AS FRONTAL PUSHES ARRIVE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TROUGH PASSAGES TO THE N. HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF SVR WX CURRENTLY APPEARS TO BE ON MON...BUT SUBTLE CHANGES IN THE FORECAST COULD LEAD TO MORE SVR WX THROUGH THE EXTENDED. FIRST FRONT ARRIVES SAT EVE...AND BY SUN AFTERNOON SHOULD SEE H7 TEMPS RANGING FROM 8 DEG C OVR THE PALMER DVD TO AROUND 12 DEG C OVER THE SERN PLAINS. TEMPS ON SUN WILL STRUGGLE TO GET INTO THE 80S OVR THE PLAINS...WHILE ERN MTS WILL REMAIN IN THE 60S. COULD SEE SOME MORE SHSN ON TOP OF PIKES PEAK FOR BACK END OF THE PP MARATHON. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF SHEAR...BULK SHEARS IN THE 55 KT RANGE...BUT INSTABILITY MAY BE LACKING...PARTICULARLY WITH THE COOLER BL AND MORNING CLOUD COVER. NAM 12 CURRENTLY PROGGING AROUND 500-1000 J/KG CAPE...PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH FOR GOOD STORM ORGANIZATION SAT AFTERNOON. BEST SHOT FOR SVR TS WOULD BE OVR THE SRN ZONES...BASICALLY THE RATON AREA. STILL...WITH CVA INCREASING IN THE AFTERNOON...WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR POTENTIAL STORMS ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS ENOUGH MORNING CLEARING TO HELP TEMPS RECOVER BY EARLY AFTERNOON. BETTER SHOT FOR SVR ON MON AS THE BL RECOVERS WITH SERLY SFC FLOW OVR THE PLAINS. BULK SHEARS STILL AROUND 50 KTS AND CAPE CURRENTLY PROGGED BY THE NAM TO BE FROM 1500-2000 J/KG. FAIRLY GOOD HELICITIES TOO...SO COULD SEE THE WHOLE RANGE OF SVR THREATS INCLUDING TORNADOES ON MON IF PROGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THESE PARAMETERS. BY TUE...BEST INSTABILITY SHIFTS E PER THE GFS...AND DRY AIR CONTINUES TO FLOW INTO SRN CO FROM THE W AND SW TUE AND WED. SHOULD SEE TEMPS REBOUND BACK INTO THE 90S FOR THE PLAINS. SECOND TROUGH MOVES THRU THE DAKOTAS AND NE BY LATE WED...AND COULD BRING ANOTHER SHOT OF SOME COOLER AIR AND POTENTIAL CONVECTION OVR ERN CO FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. GFS CONTINUES TO BE A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS TROUGH THAN THE ECMWF. WITH EITHER SOLUTION...BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP WILL BE OVR THE ERN ZONES WED NITE INTO THU. ROSE && .AVIATION... AVIATION CONCERNS CENTERED AROUND CONVECTION THIS EVENING UNTIL AROUND 06Z. ALL AREAS...INCLUDING TAF SITES...COULD SEE A STORM IN OR NEAR THE AREA. MOST INTENSE ACTIVITY WILL BE OVER THE KANSAS BORDER COUNTIES. CONVECTIVE THREAT WILL RETURN TOMORROW BEGINNING AROUND 16Z...THIS TIME FAVORING AREAS MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER. SOUTHERN AREAS SHOULD BE MUCH DRIER WITH LESS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. LOCAL MVFR/BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. AREAS ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER THIS EVENING HAVE THE THREAT OF 1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. LW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 50/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 651 AM MDT FRI AUG 14 2009 COZ058>089-093>099-151300- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 651 AM MDT FRI AUG 14 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS FROM STORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. ONE OR TWO STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG ACROSS KIOWA...BENT...PROWERS AND BACA COUNTIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND COULD PRODUCE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ON SATURDAY...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. ON SUNDAY...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS...AS AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG DISTURBANCE PASSES OVER A LAYER OF MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW AT THE SURFACE. FOR MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION...WITH UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE PLAINS AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. THIS PATTERN CAN PRODUCE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE PLAINS AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. AT THIS TIME...IT IS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT ON WHICH DAYS SEVERE STORMS WILL DEVELOP. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS 10/06
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 178 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:59 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The San Luis Peoples Ditch had two breaches, flooding two properties. Some house experience flooding of basements and crawl spaces. Several county roads were washed out.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, August 2009
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 195552.