Man Rescued in Colorado As Flood Kills Three

Flash flooding in portions of northern Colorado have left three dead as high water levels continue to make rescue attempts difficult Thursday.

Officials in Colorado say that one person died when a structure collapsed in Jamestown. And a spokeswoman for the city of Colorado Springs said that police found a body floating in the water on the city's west side.

Rescue crews were luckier when it came to a helping a man in Lafayette County, where they successfully pulled a man from a partially submerged car as flood waters raced by.

According to officials, the flooding has consumed streets in Boulder, cutting off almost all main roads and making travel nearly impossible. The rain and subsequent flooding have already been blamed for destroying buildings and homes. Both Boulder County and portions of Jefferson County have been issued flash flood emergency alerts, and some areas including Jamestown have been evacuated.

As heavy rains continues, rescue workers have been unable to reach stranded drivers and residents in Boulder and other mountain communities. Early evacuation centers for mountain residents had to be shutdown and evacuees moved when rising water hit the supposedly safe spaces. University of Colorado-Boulder was forced to close campus Thursday.

The conditions have also seriously increased the likelihood of treacherous mud and rockslides throughout portions of the affected areas. More than 700 residents in and around Boulder remain without power as the storm continues.

The National Weather Service has deemed the situation in Colorado, where more than 6 inches of rain has fallen in 24 hours a “life-threatening situation."