Snowplows Clear Hail
Snowplows Clear Piles of Hail Stones from Douglas County Roads After Severe Storm
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A severe summer storm slammed Douglas County, Colorado on Aug. 15, burying roads in piles of hail stones and trapping vehicles in floodwater. The storm was unusual enough that public works crews had to deploy snowplows — in the middle of August — to clear the streets, according to WKYT.
Despite the chaos, no injuries were reported. But the storm triggered a wave of emergency calls that kept first responders busy for hours across the South Metro Fire Rescue district.
Snowplows Roll Out in August to Clear Hail
The hail accumulation was so heavy it looked like a winter snowstorm. Public works officials brought in snowplows to push the ice off roads and reopen streets to traffic, WECT reported. Scenes of the plows moving through mounds of hail in summer heat were striking and widely shared.
Hail storms can drop ice fast enough to pile up like snow in a short time. In this case, the buildup was severe enough to make some roads impassable, forcing an emergency response more common to January than August.
Nine Emergency Calls Including Two Water Rescues
South Metro Fire Rescue crews responded to nine public assist calls after the storm hit, according to WNDU. Among those calls were two water rescues, as rising floodwater left drivers stranded inside their vehicles.
One of the stranger rescues involved four adults and a dog who were found on paddleboards, according to WLFI. Fire crews reached them and brought them safely to shore. No one was hurt in any of the rescues.
Flooding Traps Vehicles Across the County
Floodwater moved quickly through parts of Douglas County, leaving cars and trucks stuck in the flow. The combination of heavy rain and hail runoff overwhelmed some roads, KCTV5 reported. Rescue teams worked to reach drivers before conditions worsened.
Douglas County sits south of Denver and is no stranger to summer storms. But the Aug. 15 event stood out for its intensity. The hail, flooding, and number of rescue calls made it one of the more serious storm responses the area has seen recently, according to WNEM.
No Injuries Reported Despite Scale of Damage
Despite the dramatic images and multiple rescues, all nine incidents ended without injury, KAIT8 reported. Firefighters and public works crews managed to respond quickly enough to keep the situation from turning deadly.
The quick work of South Metro Fire Rescue and county road crews kept the event from becoming a tragedy. Still, the storm served as a reminder of how fast Colorado summer weather can turn dangerous — and how unusual cleanup can look when it does, according to WSAW.
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