Hurricane Polo Remnants Bring a Flood Watch to Southern Colorado: How to Protect Your Home

If you live anywhere in Southern Colorado, you've probably noticed the forecast this week looks nothing like a normal late-September stretch. The remnants of Hurricane Polo — a Pacific storm system — are pushing a big plume of tropical moisture over the state, and the National Weather Service office in Pueblo has Flood Watches up across most of our service area.

We're a small, veteran-owned restoration crew based in Colorado City, and weeks like this are when our phones get busy. So here's a straight rundown of what's actually been issued, what it means for your house, and what you can do right now — whether or not you ever call us.

What the National Weather Service has actually issued

As of early Wednesday morning (September 30), NWS Pueblo's Flood Watch covers a long list of zones, including:

• Colorado Springs and southern El Paso County, plus northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge
• Teller County and the Pikes Peak area
• The Pueblo vicinity and Pueblo County below 6,300 feet
• Cañon City / eastern Fremont County and western/central Fremont County
• The Wet Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley
• Walsenburg and the upper Huerfano River basin
• Trinidad and western Las Animas County, plus eastern Las Animas County
• Crowley County, the La Junta area (Otero County), the Las Animas area (Bent County), the Lamar area (Prowers County), Kiowa County and Baca County

That watch runs through Thursday morning (October 1). A separate watch covers the San Luis Valley — including the Alamosa area — through late tonight, and another covers the eastern San Juan Mountains.

The NWS wording is plain: "Periods of heavy rainfall associated with a remnant tropical storm system will spread across southern Colorado through Thursday," and "Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations." The watch specifically calls out the Aspen Acres burn area.

Remember the difference: a watch means conditions are favorable for flash flooding. A warning means it's happening or about to. Watches can turn into warnings fast in the foothills, so keep your phone's emergency alerts turned on.

Beulah already saw flash flooding Tuesday

Our neighbors in the Beulah Valley got a head start on this system. According to the Beulah Fire Protection District, as reported by KKTV and KOAA, flash flooding was happening along Pine Drive and Cascade Avenue as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, and residents were asked to avoid those areas and be ready to evacuate. No injuries were reported. FOX21 reported it was the area's 10th flash flood warning since the Aspen Acres Fire started at the end of June.

If you're in or near the burn scar, we've written more specific guidance in our burn scar flash flood safety guide and our FEMA and insurance guide for Beulah flood damage.

Why a "remnant" storm can still flood your basement

People hear "hurricane remnants" and assume it's just a rainy couple of days. The problem in Southern Colorado isn't usually one massive downpour — it's steady rain on ground that can't take it in:

• Hard, dry soil after a hot summer sheds water instead of absorbing it.
• Burn scars act almost like pavement, which is why the foothills below the Aspen Acres scar keep flooding.
• Clay soils around Pueblo, Pueblo West and Cañon City swell and push water toward foundations.
• Older homes in Trinidad, Walsenburg, La Junta and Rocky Ford often have stone or block foundations and crawl spaces that were never waterproofed.

Two or three days of soaking rain is exactly how we end up with water coming through basement walls, window wells filling up, and sump pumps running nonstop.

What to do today, before the heaviest rain

A few hours of prep can save thousands of dollars:

1. Clear gutters and downspouts. Make sure downspouts dump water at least 5–10 feet from your foundation.
2. Check your window wells. Pull out leaves and debris. A clear plastic well cover is cheap insurance.
3. Test your sump pump. Pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it kicks on. If you have a battery backup, check the battery.
4. Get things off the basement floor. Photos, paperwork, electronics, holiday boxes — put them up on shelves or move them upstairs.
5. Know where your main water shutoff and breaker panel are. If water gets near outlets or appliances, you want to cut power from a dry spot.
6. Take "before" photos of your basement and belongings. Your insurance adjuster will love you for it.
7. Move vehicles away from low spots and dry washes.

If you want the longer version, our flash flood prep checklist walks through it step by step.

If water gets in: the first 24 hours

Safety first. Never walk into standing water if the power is still on, and don't drive through flooded roads — it only takes a little moving water to float a car.

Once it's safe:

• Stop the source if you can — redirect a downspout, clear a blocked window well.
• Photograph and video everything before you start moving things.
• Get the water out quickly. A wet/dry vac works for small amounts. Anything more than an inch or two across a room needs pumps and commercial extraction.
• Pull up wet rugs and move furniture off wet carpet. Put foil or wood blocks under furniture legs.
• Don't turn on the HVAC if ducts or the furnace got wet.
• Call your insurance company and start a claim. Ask specifically whether your policy covers surface water or groundwater — many standard homeowners policies don't, and flood insurance is separate. Our water damage insurance claims guide covers the questions to ask.

The clock matters. Mold can start growing on wet drywall, carpet pad and wood in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Fans from the hardware store help, but they rarely dry wall cavities or subfloors fully. That's where moisture meters, commercial dehumidifiers and air movers come in.

If you're dealing with water in your house right now, call us at (719) 676-2456. We answer 24/7.

Floodwater isn't clean water

This one matters. Water that comes in from outside — over the ground, through a foundation, or backed up from a drain — is considered contaminated. It can carry sewage, fertilizer, animal waste and chemicals. Porous items it touches (carpet pad, drywall, insulation, upholstered furniture) usually can't be saved safely.

If your floor drain or basement toilet is backing up during the storm, treat it as a sewage event. Keep kids and pets away and read our guide on sewage backup in the basement.

How we help

Our crew includes IICRC-certified technicians trained in water damage restoration, and we'll document the damage with moisture readings and photos to support your insurance claim. We handle water damage restoration and 24/7 emergency response across Southern Colorado — from our home base in Colorado City up to Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Cañon City, Walsenburg and Trinidad.

We're not a national franchise. We're local folks, and we'll tell you honestly if a job is something you can handle yourself.

Stay safe this week, keep an eye on the NWS alerts, and if the water wins, call Stars & Bars at (719) 676-2456.