Extra police officers and firefighters are on duty Thursday night in the City of Colorado Springs. With El Paso County under a flash flood watch until 10:00 p.m., they’re bracing themselves for the possibility of another busy night.

The city convened a meeting of departments to review the response to Wednesday’s storm and prepare for the possibility of a repeat. The meeting decided to add extra staff to the 911 communications center, which handled approximately 600 calls during a two hour period. They also decided to equip Utilities’ trucks with barricades to help avoid tying up public safety vehicles when intersections need to be closed.

The city’s accounting also gathered new data about the results of Wednesday’s storm. They report:

• Portions of Fountain Creek flowed at 10,000 to 14,000 cubic feet per second.


• Fire responded to 82 different incidents, including 25 rescues.


• Four police vehicles involved in rescue efforts were water damaged.