Hail, Rock Slide Closes WB I-70 At Floyd Hill Overnight, Storms Bring Flooding, Funnel Clouds To Denver Metro Area
FLOYD HILL, Colo. (CBS4) -- A storm dropped about four inches of hail on Interstate 70 at Floyd Hill on Friday afternoon, forcing the closure of westbound lanes. Those lanes will remain closed overnight Friday until Saturday as the heavy rain and hail caused rock slides in the area.
One lane of westbound traffic is still getting through via the off- and on-ramp at that interchange. CDOT said traffic is moving very slowly through this area and backups on westbound I-70 were approximately eight miles long at 7 p.m. Friday.
Drivers are highly discouraged from traveling westbound I-70 west of Denver during the closure.
Also closed overnight:
• U.S. 6 between State Highway 119 and I-70
• Ramp from eastbound I-70 to U.S. 6
• U.S. 40 from top of Floyd Hill to U.S. 6
"Westbound is a parking lot from El Rancho now as motorists are seeking refuge," Colorado State Patrol tweeted about 2:35 p.m.
Mud and rocks covered part of the westbound lanes and heavy equipment was brought in to clear the road.
"Rocks have fallen, and more are loose. All traffic being taken off at US 6 exit and rerouted back on the on-ramp from US 6. Backups extensive," the CSP tweeted at 4:25 p.m.
The CSP said no one was hurt and no cars were caught in the mudslide.
CDOT will reassess the closure at first light, about 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
The storms were moving quickly and also hit south of the Denver metro area in Highlands Ranch.
The CBS4 Mobile Weather Lab tracked street flooding and rushing water at C-470 and Yosemite in Douglas County.
Two people were rescued from a vehicle that was stranded in the flooding at C-470 and Yosemite.
CBS4 YouReporter Kenyatta Rutland captured what appeared to be a tornado in Arapahoe County at Peoria on Friday evening. The tornado can be seen spinning and kicking up dust on the ground. Arapahoe County and Aurora were under a tornado warning from 4:10 p.m. to 4:55 p.m. on Friday.
CBS4 viewer Kathleen Ann Kolezar Ziff shared this video of the hail and rain coming down in the area.
