US: Four dead and 80 un-accounted for in Colorado flooding

Severe flooding in the US state of Colorado has killed four people, and authorities are warning thousands of people to evacuate Boulder and the surrounding area. In addition to the deaths, 80 people remain un-accounted for. Boulder County authorities have said days of heavy rain have caused severe damage to property and over 2,500 people have had to be rescued. More than 38cm (15 inches) of rain, nearly half the region's yearly average - has fallen in just one week, the National Weather service says, and President Barack Obama has now signed an emergency order approving federal disaster aid for Bolder County. According to the Daily Camera newspaper, 4,000 people living along Boulder Creek were sent notices which warned them to move to higher ground. Towns in the region, including Jamestown, Lyons, and Longmont, are said to have been reduced to Islands by the floodwaters. Officials around Boulder have set up roadblocks to stop residents fleeing the area in vehicles along submerged or debris-strewn streets. Police say one man was pulled by the floodwater down a drainage pipe, along with his dog. Both were rescued alive two blocks away.