S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
SATURDAY MAY 2, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
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Vol. 21, No. 105
RO U T T
C O U N T Y ’ S
DA I LY
N E W S PA P E R
S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S
CSAP scores strong 3rd-grade reading scores go well for Steamboat Springs and dip in hayden Page 3
SPORTS
Lacrosse boys fall Page 18
Correction The National FFA Organization was incorrectly identified by its former name in a photo caption on page 1 and in the story “FFA sponsor honored” on page 3 of Friday’s Steamboat Today. The story “Swine flu ‘likely’ in Colorado” on page 4 of Thursday’s Steamboat Today incorrectly identified the current outbreak of swine flu as a pandemic. The World Health Organization classifies the current outbreak as a “pandemic alert Phase 5,” but a pandemic is not officially declared until the spread reaches Phase 6, the highest.
Preparing for flooding
Runoff season begins for Routt County with rain in forecast Zach Fridell PILOT & TODAY
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Routt County is on the brink of runoff season, when rivers and creeks rise as the aboveaverage snowfall finds its way down from the mountains and into the Yampa River, said county Emergency Management Director Bob Struble. As warmer weather systems
■ LOTTO
■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Business. . . . . . .14 Classifieds . . . . .23 Comics . . . . . . . .21 Crossword . . . . .21 Happenings . . . . .7
JOHN F. RUSSELL/STAFF
Kayaker Kyle Hornor plays in the fast-moving waters of the Yampa River on Wednesday evening. The spring melt has brought the river levels up in the past few weeks and also increased the possibility of flooding.
Horoscope . . . . .22 Scoreboard. . . . .20 Sports. . . . . . . . .18 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 Weather . . . . . . .31 World . . . . . . . . .32
Friday night’s Cash 5 numbers: 3-5-14-24-32 Drawings are held Monday through Saturday.
and spring storms begin to roll into the valley, the threat of flooding remains average for the season — which also means it can surge at any time. “I’d say right now we’re looking at normal runoff. But that can change with a severe weather event,” Struble said. “If you got a thunderstorm that rolled in and stayed over a drainage for a long time or put down a lot of water over a half-hour time,
■ WEATHER
Cooler with numerous showers. High of 46.
Page 31
you could have some flooding. But if it’s a gentle storm, there’s no danger.” The National Weather Service forecast calls for rain beginning today and continuing through Tuesday night. Struble’s office released a preparedness guide for Routt County residents, including the proper way to build a sandbag levee and an action plan for the county in case of a flood. The guide is
posted on the Web at www. co.routt.co.us/emergency. The severity of local high water depends mostly on weather conditions as snow melts in late May and early June. Routt County Assistant Planning Director Ellen Hoj cited a piece of local lore as an easy way to predict when the water levels will peak. See High water, page 12
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