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Backyard Washes Away After Storms Hit Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - More than half of the backyard of one family in Colorado Springs washed away in Monday's storms. It was about a year after the homeowner reported the issue to the city.

"I came outside, and when I came outside is when the other portion of the fence fell, and there's part of a tree that just fell, just now," said homeowner Tiffany Bishop.

backyard washes away (3)
Tiffany Bishop's backyard after part of it washed away (credit: CBS)

A large portion of her backyard ended up in a section of the Fountain Creek Watershed that runs behind her home.

The problems started for her family during a rainstorm last year. The land behind her home began eroding but her backyard was spared in 2015.

backyard washes away
(credit: CBS)

Bishop said she reported it to the city but nothing was ever done.

"We tried getting a hold of city workers to help is fix this...no one's come out to fix anything, and now we have no backyard," said Bishop. "I know the city has a lot of other things to fix, but this is people's lives too, and this is extremely dangerous."

backyard washes away (2)
(credit: CBS)

Firefighters say a structural engineer will need to come out and determine whether the home is safe enough for the family to stay there.

"There's nowhere safe out back for my children or my dogs, and it's scary to think if the rain keeps up, how much more of my yard or my house I'm going to lose," said Bishop. "It's extremely infuriating and scary."

backyard washes away (1)
(credit: CBS)
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