Storm & Flash Flood Damage in Colorado Springs

Updated November 12, 2026

Flood damage restoration in Colorado Springs usually follows a fast, violent storm, not days of rain. July and August thunderstorms build over the mountains in the afternoon and can drop a large amount of rain over a small area in under an hour. That water runs off steep slopes, fills drainages and creeks, and finds its way into garages, window wells and walkout basements. Land that burned in recent wildfires sheds water even faster. This page covers storm and flash flood damage, what to do first, and how flood restoration works.

How storm water gets into local homes

Monsoon thunderstorms

Summer storms here are short and intense. Runoff overwhelms gutters, street drains and yard grading, and water pours under doors and garage seals. Walkout basements and homes built on slopes take the brunt of it.

Burn scar flash floods

When a wildfire burns hot, the soil can stop absorbing water for years. Rain that would have soaked in runs straight off and carries ash, rock and debris with it. The Waldo Canyon fire in June 2012 burned 346 homes, mostly in Mountain Shadows. In the summers that followed, flash floods and mudflows off the burn scar hit Manitou Springs and closed US 24 west of town. The Black Forest fire in June 2013 destroyed roughly 500 homes north and east of the city, and burned ground there behaves the same way in a hard rain. Our article on flash flooding near burn scars explains how that risk changes over time.

Creeks and drainages

Fountain Creek, Monument Creek, Cheyenne Creek and Sand Creek can rise quickly during a storm. Homes near these creeks and their smaller tributaries, and near drainage channels, can see water in yards and lower levels. Low spots in Fountain and Security-Widefield along Fountain Creek are worth watching during heavy storms.

Driveways that run downhill to the garage

On hillside lots, the driveway often slopes down to the garage. In a heavy storm it turns into a channel. Water hits the garage door, slips under the weather seal and spreads across the floor toward the door into the house. A trench drain at the bottom helps, but gravel and hail can plug it in minutes.

Hail and wind driven water

Hail often arrives with these storms. It piles up in gutters, window wells and against doors, then melts into a flood of its own. Wind drives rain sideways through damaged window seals, broken skylights and cracked siding. That type of entry overlaps with our hail and roof leak water damage service.

Safety first

1. Never drive or walk into moving water. A few inches can knock you off your feet, and roads near drainages can wash out.
2. If you get a flash flood warning, move to higher ground. Do not wait to see how high the water gets.
3. Treat floodwater as contaminated. Wear rubber boots and gloves, and keep kids and pets out.
4. Watch for electrical hazards. Do not enter a flooded basement until power to that area is off. If the panel is in the flooded area, call your utility.
5. Check for gas smells and structural damage before going inside after a major flood.
6. Call 911 in any emergency. Restoration comes after everyone is safe.

Once the storm passes, walk the yard and note where the water came from and where it pooled. That helps the crew now and anyone you hire later to fix grading or drainage.

What the crew does

Assessment and documentation

The crew walks the property, notes where water entered and how high it reached, and photographs everything. For a flood claim, this record matters as much as the cleanup itself.

Mud and debris removal

Burn scar runoff and creek water leave silt, gravel and debris behind. That gets shoveled and squeegeed out before extraction can begin. It is heavy, slow work, especially in garages and walkout basements.

Extraction and removal

Pumps and extractors remove the remaining water. Because floodwater is contaminated, carpet, pad, lower drywall, insulation and soaked particleboard furniture are usually removed and bagged. The crew may make flood cuts 2 to 4 feet up the wall depending on how high the water reached.

Cleaning and disinfection

Hard surfaces like concrete, framing and tile are cleaned and treated with an antimicrobial. This step keeps odor and microbial growth from following the flood.

Drying

Air movers and dehumidifiers dry the framing and slab. Readings are taken daily. Dry Colorado air helps once the walls are open, but a thick slab can still take extra time.

Rebuild

Once the structure is clean and dry, the crew or a contractor rebuilds. If the house sits in a mapped floodplain, ask whether the rebuild needs any permits or elevation requirements before work starts.

What drives the cost

The company that inspects provides a written scope and price before work begins. These factors move it.

How long it takes

Mucking out and removal can take one to several days depending on how much mud came in. Drying usually takes 3 to 5 days once materials are removed, and sometimes longer for concrete. Rebuilding a flooded lower level can take several weeks.

Flood insurance vs homeowners insurance

This is the biggest question after a storm.

• Surface flooding (water flowing over the ground, overflowing creeks, mudflow) is generally excluded from standard homeowners policies. Coverage usually comes from a flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer.
• Rain entering through storm damage, like a hole punched in the roof by hail or a window broken by wind, may be covered by the homeowners policy, often under wind and hail terms with their own deductible.
• Sewer or drain backup during a storm usually needs a separate endorsement.

Read your policy and call your agent. Our article on what homeowners insurance covers in Colorado covers this in more depth. Questions about a claim can also go to the Colorado Division of Insurance.

When to call

Call as soon as the water stops rising and it is safe to enter. Call right away if mud or creek water is inside, if a finished level is wet, or if hail and wind broke a window, door or skylight and water got in. Bring photos and your policy number when you call your insurer. After a storm that floods several homes on one street, crews book up quickly, so an early call gets you on the schedule sooner.

Sources and official resources

• Contractor license lookup (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department)
• Homeowners insurance help (Colorado Division of Insurance)
• IICRC: restoration industry standards body
• Flood insurance basics (FEMA FloodSmart)
• Colorado Springs weather warnings (National Weather Service, Pueblo)