Can't buy me love: Lonely people & Consequence

 

 

Lonely people have less activity in a part of the brain that normally lights up in association with reward, scientists have found. It's not clear if social isolation diminishes the brain-reward response, however, or if people with less activity in that part of the brain tend toward loneliness. More research will be need to sort out the findings, which come from a study of just 23 female college students. But the finding offers hope that scientists may improve their understanding of loneliness, a growing emotional problem in an increasingly scattered society and one known to raise the risks of several health problems. The subjects were surveyed with standard questions to determine who felt socially isolated, or lonely, vs. those who did not. They then underwent fMRI brain scans while looking at photos of people enjoying themselves. The ventral striatum — a region of the brain known from other research to light up in association with rewards such as food and money — was much less activated in the lonely group. "Given their feelings of social isolation, lonely individuals may be left to find relative comfort in nonsocial rewards," said John Cacioppo, aprofessor of psychology at the University of Chicago. Growing problem About one if five Americans experience loneliness, Cacioppo said. And it is a growing problem in modern society in part because the average household size is decreasing. By 2010, 31 million Americans — roughly 10 percent of the population — will live alone, Cacioppo and his colleagues say. Previous work has suggested it can be as detrimental to health as smoking, Cacioppo said. In his book, "Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection" (W.W. Norton, 2008), he presented evidence that loneliness is related to less blood flow through the body, poorer immune systems, increased levels of depression and a faster progression of Alzheimer's disease. A 2006 study by a different research team, of people age 50 to 68, found that those who scored highest on measures of loneliness also had higher blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. The potentially deadly health effect of loneliness accumulates gradually and faster as you get older, that study found. Although loneliness may be influence brain activity, the research also suggests that activity in the ventral striatum may prompt feelings of loneliness, said Cacioppo's colleague Jean Decety, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the university. "The study raises the intriguing possibility that loneliness may result from reduced reward-related activity in the ventral striatum in response to social rewards," Decety said. The results are published in the current issue of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Cacioppo presented the findings today at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Chicago. What to do In his 2008 book, Cacioppo and co-author William Patrick, former science editor at Harvard University Press, argue that loneliness creates a feedback loop that reinforces social anxiety, fear and other negative feelings. Getting out of the loop requires first recognizing it and overcoming the fear related with connecting with others. "The process begins in rediscovering those positive, physiological sensations that come during the simplest moments of human contact," Patrick said. "But that means overcoming the fear and reaching out." "Lonely people feel a hunger," Cacioppo added. "The key is to realize that the solution lies not in being fed, but in cooking for and enjoying a meal with others." Are you lonesome tonight, Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart? Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day When I kissed you and called you sweetheart? Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there? Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again? Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight? I wonder if youre lonesome tonight You know someone said that the worlds a stage And each must play a part. Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart. Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange And why Ill never know. Honey, you lied when you said you loved me And I had no cause to doubt you. But Id rather go on hearing your lies Than go on living without you. Now the stage is bare and Im standing there With emptiness all around And if you wont come back to me Then make them bring the curtain down. Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again? Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight? Can't buy me love: Lonely people

Mistakes Lonely People Often Make Once someone has become socially isolated and down about it, there are some common traps they can fall into which maintain their loneliness: They hide from the world because they're embarrassed about being lonely and having no life. People who you don't live with really can't tell all that well how much of a social life you have or not. More than that, even if they do have a hunch that you may not be up to all that much on the weekends, they likely don't judge you all that negatively for it. Of course hiding like this is counterproductive because if you want to start getting a social life together, you have to begin putting yourself out there. Lonely people can also hide in the sense that they're really guarded about revealing anything about themselves, because someone might catch on to how little they have going on in their lives. Doing this can prevent new relationships from getting off the ground. A lonely person may 'save face' by avoiding a potential new friend, rather than have to reveal they don't have a ton of buddies at the moment. The alternative is to be more casual and straightforward about the fact that your social life is lacking at the moment. It's actually something that can happen to anyone from time to time. If the topic comes up, you can just say something like, "I've been working too much lately. I've got to start going out more" or "Ha ha, I think I'm in a bit of a social rut at the moment. I fell out of touch with some old friends, and really should start meeting some new people."  They become experts at distracting themselves from their loneliness. It's relatively easy to occupy spare hours in front of a TV, computer, or video game console. Some people even use alcohol or dope to take the edge off. People can also get good at structuring the times they do routine errands, so it almost feels like they're busy and have things going on in their life. Obviously this doesn't do anything to fix the underlying problem. They get too comfortable in their rut When your social life isn't where you want it to be you can find yourself in a situation where you wish it was better, but at the same time you're used to things how they are now. Like the point above mentions, maybe you've gotten really good at filling your time with things that are a half-decent substitute for socializing. Being comfortable like this can be insidious in that on some level you want to improve your situation, but you're not feeling enough of a push to really go after it. It's easier to stay in for another weekend. They expect other people take all the initiative in inviting them out. Sometimes you'll meet someone you get along with and they'll make all the effort of getting your contact information and inviting you out with them, but often this doesn't happen. People are usually pretty busy and already have social lives of their own. They're often on a kind of auto-pilot where they won't think of you as a potential buddy unless you get them thinking that way. Showing an interest in spending time with them is one way you can do that. By waiting for them to extend you an invitation, and doing nothing to put yourself on the line, you may have been unwittingly implying that you weren't interested in hanging out with them. Also, lonely people can have the mindset where they see whether they're invited out or not as a gauge of how much people like them. If someone doesn't invite them out they take it as a sign that the other person doesn't want to spend time with them. Like I said above, it's more a question of whether you're on someone's radar as a person they could potentially hang out with. Also, people tend to differ in how often they invite people to do things. Some are really friendly, organizer types. Others figure out what the rest of the group is doing and ask if they can come along (or it's just implied they can come). Others are more passive still. It's possible the other person could be waiting for you to invite them out. Inviting people out and making plans is also a bit of a pain. You can't always leave the work in the other person's hands. Your friends shouldn't always have to be the ones to pick up the phone and think of something to do when they want to hang out with you. Ideally you each pull your own weight. A final mistake is thinking that inviting someone to do something makes you look weak, desperate, or 'one down'. Don't worry about who invites who to do what and what it all means. If you want to get a circle of friends together assume you have to do all the work to make it happen. See: How To Make Friends And Get A Social Life. They think they have to be super likable to have friends. Pretty much anyone can have friends if they want to. More often than you'd think you just have to be pleasant, non-annoying company: A buddy to shoot pool with, someone to play video games against, someone to go drinking with, someone to talk to about a common interest. Even an annoying person who makes an effort to be social and make plans with people will often have friends. They actually aren't that interested in hanging around people This isn't exactly a "mistake", but it can stymie someone's ability to establish relationships all the same. People who become lonely may be more shy and anxious in the first place or not have as much of a built-in need to be social. They may also have been ostracized in one form or another when they were growing up, leaving them a bit bitter and weary towards other people. They may feel the painful effects of loneliness and isolation and want to escape them, but at the same time they're not 100% keen on being around other people. This can get them stuck in a pattern where sometimes they'll feel lonely enough that they make initial steps to get a social life going, but then they don't quite have the motivation to follow through on them. They have a negative attitude towards people Studies have shown that lonely people tend to be more cynical and negative about other people. This could be a cause or effect of being lonely, or both. In practice this manifests in a picky, superior, or snobby attitude. It may be an over compensation for insecurity, anxiety, or low self-esteem. It may also have routes in somewhat justified feelings of being different, left-out, and alienated. A past of social experiences that haven't gone well may also have left a lonely person feeling jaded about other people.

 

'Loneliness map' to help isolated elderly amid concerns of effects it has on nation's health Growing evidence that loneliness can cause health problems Department of Health to identify areas with highest levels of isolation Charity estimates 1 in 10 pensioners are lonely most of the time Ministers are trying to measure loneliness amid concerns it is having devastating consequences on the nation’s health. The Department of Health is drawing up a map which will pinpoint which areas of the country have the highest levels of isolation. It is a particular problem among the elderly and research has found that as many as half of the over 75s regard the television as their main source of company. Figures show that 1 in 10 elderly people only see friends and family once a month, with the same proportion saying they feel cut-off from society. But there is growing evidence that loneliness can cause health problems and lead to higher rates of dementia, heart disease and high blood pressure. It also leads to people going to their hospital or GP more frequently - just for the company - and they are more likely to move into a care home earlier. For the first time, officials will ask local councils and NHS health trusts to carry out surveys of the levels of loneliness within their communities. If they are found to be high, authorities will be urged to provide extra support such as befriending services and transport to day centres. Research has found that as many as half of the over 75s regard the television as their main source of company. Norman Lamb, the care and support minister said: ‘For the first time we will be aiming to define the extent of the problem by introducing a national measure for loneliness. ‘We will be encouraging local authorities, NHS organisations and others to get better at measuring the condition in their communities. ‘Once they have this information, they can come up with the right solutions to address loneliness and isolation.’ The charity Age UK estimates that as many as 1 in 10 pensioners are lonely most of the time, which equates to 90,000 people. Another 1 in 10 only see friends and family once a month, with the same proportion saying they feel cut-off from society. Laura Ferguson, Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness - which was set up by charities last year said: ‘Loneliness is a major health issue.‘An effective measure of isolation and loneliness is an important step to improving the lives of the hundreds of thousands of older people who are chronically lonely. ‘This national measure can only help those making local health and care decisions to prioritise loneliness as a health issue, and one that they will tackle.’ The campaign says being lonely is linked to high blood pressure and depression and has been shown to increase the risk of dementia by 50 per cent. Dr Anne Hayden, a GP in Dorset, said she trimmed £80,000 from the NHS’s budget by setting up a befriending scheme for elderly patients who frequently came to the surgery. The patients did not have any obvious symptoms and doctors suspected that they were lonely and felt unable to cope with life. As part of the scheme, volunteers visit the patients and help out with jobs around the home as well as offering advice and support. Married people are THREE times more likely to survive middle age Being single after 40 cuts your chances of reaching 60 Loneliness may have a negative effect on health Follows Swedish study that found marriage could protect against Alzheimer's Being married could be the key to a longer life - by improving your chances of surviving middle age, claim scientists. People who never married were almost three times as likely to die early than those who had been in a stable marriage throughout their adult life US researchers found. The new research suggests for the first time that not having a spouse in midlife increases the risk of dying during those years. Marital bliss? A spouse could help you navigate middle age Being single after 40, or losing a partner without marrying again, increased the risk of early death during middle age and cut the chances of getting to 60. Even when personality and risky behaviours such as smoking and drinking were accounted for, married people were still 2.3 times more likely to survive. The new study was carried out by Dr Ilene Siegler and colleagues from the department of behavioural sciences at Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina. She said ‘In sum, having a partner during middle age is protective. ‘Being single or losing a partner without replacement are the situations that increase mortality risk during middle age and decrease the probability that one will survive to be elderly. ‘New research on chronic loneliness may provide a partial explanation for our findings’ she added. Dr Siegler said living to a ripe old age is expected, particularly for people who reach the age of 40, which makes it important to understand why some people do not survive to become elderly. Getting and remaining married has long been associated with better survival, especially for men, but the impact on the risk of dying in middle age has not been previously researched, she said. In a new study, researchers analysed data for 4,802 individuals who took part in the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study (UNCAHS) - an ongoing study of individuals born in the 1940s. Those taking part were aged around 40 at the start of the study, and were in their late 50s by its conclusion. They completed four questionnaires at regular intervals. The researchers recorded stability and change in patterns of marital and non-marital status during midlife, and looked at the effect of personality traits during the late teens, socioeconomic status and health risk behaviours. Altogether 238 deaths were reported during the study, including 32 women. Researchers found those who had never married by midlife were at highest risk of death. Previous research has found marriage can help people to survive heart bypasses and lower the risk of Alzheimer's. They were 2.84 times as likely to die early than those who had been in a stable marriage throughout their adult life. Being single, or losing a partner without replacement, increased the risk of early death during middle age by three quarters and reduced the likelihood of surviving to be elderly. Personality and poor lifestyle factors in middle age such as smoking, drinking and taking no exercise slightly reduced the benefits of marriage. The study is published online in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Being married has a positive effect on lifestyle, say experts, although it does not fully account for the health benefits. Happily married people are more likely to eat more healthily, have more friends and encourage each other to take care of themselves. Being lonely and without companionship may have a bigger effect on single people in middle age, they suggest. A recent huge study carried out in seven European countries found married people enjoy better mental and physical health, and are up to 15 per cent less likely to die prematurely. Meanwhile U.S researchers have found heart bypass patients with supportive spouses are more than three times as likely to still be alive 15 years later than those who have never tied the knot. Plus a Swedish study shows being married protects you against Alzheimer’s in later life, with people who have a partner in middle age at half the risk of developing dementia as those who live alone. Getting divorced and becoming widowed in mid-life raised the risk three-fold. Other work has shown that married people have a better chance of surviving cancer than those who are separated or divorced and tend to live longer than singletons.

Can't buy me love: Lonely people more frivolous with money to try and fit in. People who don’t have many friends, feel alone at work, or are sad about a breakup are more frivolous with their money, according to a new study. Researchers found that when people feel lonely or rejected they put a greater value on money. This is because they associate being wealthy with being socially accepted. Feeling lonely and sad makes people more frivolous with money in an attempt to be socially accepted. As a result, lonely, sad and rejected people gamble and make riskier, but potentially more profitable, financial decisions in a bid to fit in, the team from Hong Kong said in the study in the Journal of Consumer Research. 'Feeling socially rejected triggers riskier financial decision-making,' says authors Rod Duclos (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Echo Wen Wan (University of Hong Kong), and Yuwei Jiang (Hong Kong Polytechnic University). In the absence of social support, consumers seek significantly more money to secure what they want out of the social system surrounding them.' Gambling with their money makes lonely people feel better about being alone, according to study. During the study, participants were asked to talk about a social situation that left them feeling included, and one that made them feel left out. After each anecdote they were asked to choose between bets with high odds that offered low rewards, or low-odds bets that gave higher payouts. When the members felt rejected or lonely, they were more likely to choose the higher risk options. However, when they discussed a situation in which they felt happy and accepted, participants were more careful in their money-making decisions. 'Understanding how consumers trade risk for reward could help them make more informed choices.' continues the study authors. Consumers might [therefore] choose to delay important financial decisions following a breakup or a falling out with friends, colleagues, or family.' Failing hearts: More than 750,000 Britons are living with hearts that have been seriously weakened by heart attacks. A pill that ‘mends broken hearts’ – revolutionising the lives of millions – could be available in just a decade. It tricks damaged tissue into healing itself, making it easier for weaker hearts to pump blood round the body. British researchers are so impressed by preliminary results they say the drug could be in widespread use in ten years. They envisage those at high risk of having a heart attack taking it in advance, to prime their hearts into producing healthy new cells when the need arises. Crucially, the self-repair removes any risk the new cells will be rejected by the body. Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘We are very excited about this. Even five years ago, people would have said this was science fiction. ‘This is a wonderful example of really good basic science which I think is going to deliver a new treatment for patients.’ More than 750,000 Britons are living with failing hearts that have been seriously weakened by heart attacks. Currently up to 40 per cent die within a year of diagnosis. Now researchers from University College London, funded by the BHF, found the outer layer of the heart contains cells which babies in the womb can turn into heart muscle. Holy grail: Professor Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation believes that the breakthrough pill is only a decade away. In adults they lie dormant but a compound called thymosin beta-4 reawakens them, triggering the development of new heart muscle. In experiments on mice the cells repaired some of the damage to the heart and improved its ability to pump blood by a quarter, the journal Nature reports. Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the BHF, said: ‘To repair a damaged heart is one of the holy grails of heart research. ‘This groundbreaking study  shows adult hearts contain certain cells that, given the right stimulus, can mobilise and turn into new  heart cells that might repair a damaged heart.’ Last week the Mail reported U.S. scientists are also homing in on a similar solution. Research from the University of Texas’s Southwestern Heart Centre found a medicine used to treat cancer shrank enlarged mice hearts back to near normal size.   The only thing that money buys you is opportunity. It doesn’t buy you love or happiness – my parents taught me that. My father worked so hard for so long to get me where I am. My parents have never acted in their lives. They’re both afraid of public speaking but they’re amazing. They said, ‘We can’t imagine why you want to act but we understand you want to.’ Until recently I had to show my ID when I was going out, to prove I’m over 21, but because I have done so many movies I don’t have to any more. I am so sick of my face – seriously! But I’m incredibly grateful for all these opportunities, getting to work with people I admire and having choices, which, for an actor is the dream. But I know it won’t last forever. funeral of heart Love's the funeral of hearts And an ode for cruelty When angels cry blood On flowers of evil in bloom The funeral of hearts And a plea for mercy When love is a gun Separating me from you...   Ophelia Bethany Dawson poses as Ophelia from Hamlet

Charles Wolf kisses the name of his wife Katherine Wolf, a British citizen who died at Ground Zero during the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center Memorial in New York, on March 15, 2012. He accompanied British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha on their visit to the site.

 

A woman kisses a girl looking at tributes at the 't Stekske primary school in Lommel, Belgium, on March 16, 2012. The memorial was for the victims of the March 13 bus crash near the town of Sierre in southern Switzerland. Twenty-eight people died in the accident, including 22 children from two schools in Lommel and Heverlee, returning to Belgium from a skiing holiday. (Yorick Jansens/AFP/Getty Images)

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Colorado floods triggered by convergence of geography and climate

 

Colorado floods triggered by convergence of geography and climate, experts say Video: In Jamestown, Colo., roads have become impassable and hiking is now the only way in. A third of the town is gone, swallowed by the creek that divides it. NBC’s Miguel Almaguer reports. The torrent of water that gushed over and down the Rocky Mountains late last week resulted from a fateful confluence of geography and weather. While the deluge is unprecedented in the historic record, it may offer a window onto the new normal as the planet continues to warm. The exact role of global climate change in the deluge is uncertain, but it certainly played a part, according to climate, weather and policy experts. As of Tuesday, more than 17 inches of rain had fallen since Sept. 12 in Boulder, Colo. The soaking, described as "biblical" by the National Weather Service, left at least eight people dead with hundreds more still missing and rendered untold millions of dollars in property damage. Cause of the storm The flooding resulted from a fetch of tropical moisture drawn north from Mexico by a weak, but large, upper-level low-pressure system that was blown up into the Rocky Mountains by a persistent southeasterly airflow, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "The moisture-laden air was thus moved upwards and forced" to turn to rain, "most prolifically" in the area between Interstate 25 and the Continental Divide, Martin Hoerling, a research meteorologist who studies climate variability at the administration's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, explained to NBC News in an email. Earlier in the summer, the region is prone to North American monsoon-type rains that come when heat in the Southwest draws up moisture from the tropics and causes thunderstorm activity in Arizona, Utah and Colorado, noted Bob Henson, a meteorologist and writer with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. But last week's rains came during what is typically Boulder's driest month and were unyielding in intensity — unlike the scattered thunderstorms of monsoon season. "What was unusual was that it lasted so long and produced heavy rain over such a large area," he told NBC News. As the week wore on, "the moisture kept coming, and the rains kept falling, anchored geographically by the terrain," Hoerling added. "Boulders running down rivers" The foothills of the Rocky Mountains where the idyllic college town of Boulder rests are drained by a veiny network of streams and creeks that were turned into raging rivers as the rains fell. "It was like living right next to a jet engine ... you could hear the boulders running down rivers at night, which was very eerie, creepy and disturbing," Bradley Udall, an expert on the impacts of climate change on water resources at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder, told NBC News. "I couldn't go to sleep." Udall has lived in Boulder off and on since the 1970s and not once seen anything close to the deluge of last week. The 1976 flash flood in Big Thompson canyon between Estes Park and Loveland — a seemingly similar event which killed more than 100 people — was caused by a highly localized hovering thunderstorm that dumped more than 10 inches in four hours, he noted. The 1976 storm was over almost as quickly as it had begun, while the torrents of the past week kept up for days. "If you would have told me a week ago that we could get 15 inches of rain here in a week, I would have laughed at you," Udall said. "There is just no analog for this type of storm for this time of year." Deadly floods swamp Colorado Rick Wilking Days of heavy rainfall flooded Colorado mountain towns, obliterating roads and leaving many people stranded. Climate change's fingerprint The question then is what's behind the unusual confluence of factors that caused the unprecedented event, which Henson said is the type of flooding expected only about once every thousand years. According to Hoerling, climate change was likely responsible for "about 3 to 5 percent" of the water vapor in the fetch of tropical moisture, given that a warmer atmosphere can hold more water and published studies indicate "a few percent increase in water vapor to date." The rest, he said, is due to atmospheric circulation patterns that appear inconsistent with models used to simulate the global climate, including those being examined for theupcoming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Those models project a slight decline in summertime rainfall, he said. Video: The devastating floods have left residents living in shelters, and officials worrying about water-borne illnesses. With winter approaching, it will be a long road ahead to fix all of the bridges and roads across the state. NBC’s Kate Snow reports. The caveat is a 2012 report from the panel that indicates heavy downpours may increase in intensity or frequency "'in the 21st century over many areas of the globe,'" Hoerling said. "It is unclear how, if at all, that assessment pertains to the Front Range, however." According to Udall, to link the Colorado flooding to climate change is an invitation to criticism from some people in the climate science community, but "if anybody wants to tell me that climate change is not at least partially at work here, I'm going to tell them that they are (in denial)." Determining whether the contribution is a few percent or 99 percent, he added, is beside the point and perhaps impossible with current modeling ability. That's the uncertain nature of climate science, he explained. But "some things are uncertain and scary enough that you actually do have to act." Udall has spent much of the past decade lecturing on the threat of drought that climate change poses to the southwestern U.S. while downplaying the risk of floods, he noted. But climate models do indicate occasional high flow years on the Colorado River, which make sense given the increase in water vapor and high mountains to squeeze out the water, he said. "What the scientists tell us is that these big flood events are probably more likely to occur in areas that are wetter, but that doesn't mean that we won't get them in these drier areas as well," he said. "It fits perfectly with the more extreme events on both sides of the drought-flood continuum." By Keith Coffman DENVER | Mon Sep 16, 2013 6:56pm EDT (Reuters) - Seven people were confirmed dead and at least 1,500 homes destroyed in Colorado after a week of rare, torrential rains along the eastern slopes of the Rockies, and helicopter search-and-rescue flights resumed on Monday in flood-stricken areas. Much of the evacuation effort was focused on remote foothill and canyon communities of Larimer and Boulder counties in north-central Colorado, where 1,000 residents remained stranded due to washed-out roads, bridges and communication lines, the county sheriff's office said. Drizzle and patchy morning fog that had hampered airborne emergency operations lifted by afternoon, allowing National Guard helicopters to return to the skies to help ground teams find trapped flood victims and carry them to safety. Ranchers were advised to move livestock away from rain-swollen streams as floodwaters spread further east onto the prairie, and authorities warned residents to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes that might be moving to higher ground. Larimer and Boulder counties bore the brunt of flash floods first unleashed last week by heavy rains that started last Monday and drenched Colorado's biggest urban centers along a 130-mile stretch in the Front Range of the Rockies. At the peak of the disaster, the heaviest deluge to hit the region in four decades, floodwaters streamed down rain-saturated mountainsides northwest of Denver and spilled through canyons funneling the runoff into populated areas below. The flooding progressed downstream and spread onto the prairie on Friday. During the weekend, waters topped the banks of the South Platte River and inundated farmland as high water rolled eastward in the direction of Nebraska. SAND-BAGGING RAILROAD TRACKS State officials issued flood warnings to Nebraska residents along the South Platte. State emergency management spokeswoman Jodie Fawl said they began putting sandbags inside culverts beside a Union Pacific Railroad line in the town of Big Springs to prevent a wash-out of the tracks there. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management issued a statement on the disaster, putting the official death toll at seven, up from five over the weekend, but a breakdown of the fatalities was not immediately available. Separately, two women, aged 60 and 80, remained missing and presumed dead after their homes were washed away by flash flooding in the Big Thompson Canyon area, Larimer County sheriff's spokeswoman Jennifer Hillmann said. But she said local authorities were still not counting those two women as confirmed dead because their bodies had not been recovered. Nearly 400 other people remain unaccounted for in Larimer County, with many believed to be still stranded in remote areas cut off by floodwaters and left without telephone, cell phone or Internet service, she said. An estimated 1,500 homes have been destroyed and 4,500 more damaged in Larimer County alone, Hillmann said. In addition, 200 businesses have been lost and 500 damaged, she said, citing preliminary assessments by the county. As the weather began to clear Sunday night and Monday, rescue workers fanned out across a flood zone encompassing an area nearly the size of Delaware. "They'll take advantage of the weather today and help out everyone they can," said Micki Trost, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Emergency Management. "We hope that those weather forecasts stay in our favor." The air rescue operations were the largest in the United States since flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, National Guard officials said. Bryon Louis of the National Weather Service office in Boulder said some areas had been soaked by as much as 16 inches of rain in just three days, the average for an entire year in the semi-arid region. President Barack Obama declared the area a major disaster over the weekend, freeing up federal funds and resources to aid state and local governments. U.S. Army and National Guard troops have rescued 1,750 people cut off by washed-out roads in the mountain canyons of Boulder and Larimer counties, Army spokesman Major Earl Brown said in a statement. State officials would be unable to assess the overall damage until rescue efforts were complete and the floodwaters had receded, Trost said. The prolonged showers were caused by an atmospheric low-pressure system that stalled over Nevada and western Utah, drawing extremely moist air out of Mexico and streaming it north into the southern Rockies, meteorologists said. The last multi-day rainfall event to spawn widespread flooding in Colorado's Front Range occurred in 1969. But a single-night deluge from a 1976 thunderstorm triggered a flash flood that killed more than 140 people in Big Thompson Canyon. Six people are now presumed dead, including an 80-year-old woman who was washed from her home With more than 1,200 unaccounted for the death toll is anticipated to rise Driving rain and low cloud ceilings on Sunday grounded the air resources Nearly 19,000 homes damaged and 11,700 people evacuated so far Heavy rains that started Wednesday sparked flash-flooding from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs Residents urged to leave now or risk being stranded for weeks without water or power President Obama has approved a federal disaster assistance request for the area and National Guard have been dispatched An 80-year-old woman in Colorado is missing presumed dead after her home was washed away in the deadly floods that have devastated parts of the state. The woman, whose named hasn’t been released, is the latest victim feared dead from the week-long rains, said sheriff's spokesman John Schulz. ‘The woman was injured and couldn't get out of her house, and when neighbors went back to help her, the house was gone,’ Schulz said. Federal disaster area: Colorado authorities have warned that the death toll is expected to rise from historic flooding in the state, the presumed total now stands at six Volunteers pass sandbags as residents reinforce the dam on University Hill in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday More than 1,200 people are missing in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut He said another 60-year-old woman whose home was also swept way in the same area of the Big Thompson Canyon had likely perished as well. Four people have been confirmed dead from the flooding, but authorities warned on Sunday that they expect the death toll to rise as more than 1,200 people remain unaccounted for. 'I expect that we're going to continue to receive reports of confirmed missing and confirmed fatalities throughout the next several days,' said Schulz. The four confirmed deaths so far include Wesley Quinlan and Wiyanna Nelson, both 19, who were swept away after leaving their car Thursday in Boulder County. A woman pets her dog, while one of her birds rests on her shoulder at the LifeBridge Church in Longmont, Colo., which is providing food and shelter for families and pets People are directed off the tarmac at Boulder Municipal Airport after being flown down from Jamestown on a National Guard helicopter after being stranded from heavy rains in Boulder, Colorado Another person was found in a collapsed home in Jamestown, while rescuers found another body on a roadway in Colorado Springs. President Barack Obama declared the area a federal disaster over the weekend. U.S. National Guard and U.S. Army troops have rescued 1,750 people cut off by washed-out roads in the mountain canyons of Boulder and Larimer counties, Army spokesman Major Earl Brown said in a statement. Driving rain and low cloud ceilings on Sunday grounded the air resources until the weather clears, officials said. Meanwhile, residents in the farming communities of northeastern Colorado are braced for a surge from the north-flowing South Platte River. Morgan County Sheriff James Crone said all eight bridges spanning waterways in the county were impassable from the rising river. ‘Our county is cut in half,’ he told The Denver Post. An aerial photo of a flood-affected area of northern Colorado along the Big Thompson River which has been declared a federal disaster area A woman and little girl rush into LifeBridge Church to escape the new rain in Longmont, Colo., on Sunday Water flows through an evacuated neighborhood after days of flooding in Hygeine, Colo., rain returned on Sunday creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides A tractor is bogged down in mud and water from flooding on the South Platte River on a farm near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday as heavy rains continued Crone said there would be significant crop damage from standing water in the corn, hay, millet and sugar beet fields that dot the agricultural county. ‘There is no way for the water to drain, so come November when it freezes, it's going to be one huge ice cube,’ he said. Forty miles northeast in Logan County, authorities have ordered evacuations as the river crest was forecast to exceed historic levels. Emergency Manager Bob Owens warned residents to prepare for sustained flooding over the next several days. ‘This is going to be severe,’ he said in a statement. Early damage tallies by the Office of Emergency Management show 17,494 homes damaged and 1,502 destroyed and 11,700 people have been evacuated. Safe: Bonnie Dannelly hugs her daughter Makayla after she got off the bus at Fireside Elementary in Louisville, on Saturday. Makayla Dannelly was one of over 80 Fireside 5th graders who were trapped above Jamestown at Camp Cal-Wood Military Operation: A handout aerial image released by the US Army on 15 September 2013 shows 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, soldiers evacuating fifth-grade students from Firewood Elementary Almost 100 school school children and teachers left stranded for two days by the massive flooding that hit around Boulder, Colorado were airlifted to safety on Saturday as the number of presumed dead rose to six - with over 700 more missing. The students from Fireside Elementary School in Louisville, Colorado - around 10 miles to the southeast of Boulder - were trapped when flood-waters burst over roads at an outdoor education center in Jamestown. The 85 fifth graders and 14 adults were lifted from the mountainside by helicopter and taken to Boulder Municipal Airport where they were loaded onto buses and reunited with their emotional parents at Fireside Elementary on Saturday evening. 'All the kids are down from the mountains and either delivered here or en route,' said Briggs Gamblin, a spokesman for the Boulder Valley School District. Despite being trapped by the rising flood-waters, the children ate tacos with all the fixings for dinner on Friday evening and were kept occupied by a dance party. Pulled to Safety: The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade was able to assist state and local emergency response efforts under the Immediate Response Authority Rescued: Families cheer as a bus carrying several Fireside Elementary 5th graders who were trapped at Camp-Calwood arrive to school in Louisville, Colorado on September 14, 2013 'Last night around 5 o'clock we got a request from the National Guard for assistance,' said Major Earl Brown, deputy public affairs officer for the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. In total, seven helicopters, including four Blackhawks, were used to airlift the children and adults out of the area. 'We're just a part of a whole team effort to help those folks out there in Boulder County,' said Brown to NBC News. As rain continued to fall on Sunday in Colorado, efforts to search for the missing were hampered as the National Guard grounded all helicopters in the state. 'It's unlikely at this point that we'll be able to reach those who are stranded in the hard-to-reach areas,' said Kim Kobel, a spokesperson for Boulder's Office of Emergency Management to CNN. Governor John Hickenlooper, told CNN on Sunday morning that he hoped many of the missing were simply out of reach of communications and have 'already gotten out or are staying with friends.' 'But,' he added, 'we're still bracing. I mean, there are many, many homes that have been destroyed.' An aerial view of mobile homes submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado September 14, 2013 A section of highway is washed out by flooding along the South Platte River in Weld County, Colorado near Greeley, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 Lucky: Jon Tarkington with his daughter Evy, 1, look over a diversion dam built in the intersection of 7th Street and University Ave on University Hill in Boulder, Colorado on Saturday Result: A farm house is surrounded by water from flooding on the South Platte River near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 Crossroads: As heavy rains return after somewhat abating for two days, a field fills with water from overflowing creeks nearby, outside Longmont, Colorado on Sunday Sept. 15, 2013 Frantic: Dean Beacom works to save his home from a flash flood near 19th Street and Upland Avenue, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 as Steve Gabel (left) and Patrick Muir move a soaked couch out from Muir's apartment Justin Slyter with Par Electrical Contractors looks over fallen power poles in a office complex on Arapahoe Avenue next to Eben G Fine Park in Boulder on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013 Damage: A car lies on its side in a mud slide on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colo. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding Swept away: A large chunk of road near Greenley, Colorado, has been demolished by the flood Torn: Evan Russack with his son Trevor, 6, look over Pennsylvania Ave on University Hill which was cut in two by flooding on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013 Collapsed: Lefthand Canyon Road near the intersection of Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Boulder. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding Relief: Brian Montgomery helps his mother Barbara Yanari to clean up the mud in her flooded basement on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colorado Escape: Anita and Art Powner evacuate with their dogs Zypher and Lexus on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded Sheriff Justin Smith visited areas 'somewhat cut off from the rest of the world,' he said. Many residents are still stranded in their homes as rescue workers try to reach them. Rescue teams are warning people in some Colorado towns isolated by devastating flooding against remaining there, telling them that they could face weeks without basic supplies, including running water and electricity. Helicopters and truck convoys of the National Guard carried the admonition Saturday into paralyzed canyon communities where thousands of stranded residents were eager to escape the Rocky Mountain foothills. But not everybody was willing to go. Dozens of people in hard hit Jamestown wanted to stay to watch over their homes. Authorities made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while. Rescuers won't go back for people who insist on staying, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said. 'We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,' Pelle said. Aerial: Photographs shows the damage and flooding to infrastructure destroyed by heavy rains, with some areas receiving as much as 18 inches in a 24-hour period, in Boulder, Colorado Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday Special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, was torn about leaving his Jamestown home. 'I was thinking about staying. I could have lasted at least a year. I have a lot of training in wilderness survival,' he said, adding that he probably had enough beer to last the whole time. As he sat outside a makeshift shelter at a high school, Shultz floated the idea of walking back into the funky mountain town. 'If we hike back, I would stay there and just live. I'd rather be at our own house than staying at some other people's houses,' he said. His wife, Meagan Harrington, gave him a wry smile. About 10 of their neighbors declined to evacuate, she said. 'They said they wouldn't force you, but it was strongly encouraged,' she said. Shultz teared up behind his sunglasses as he compared his situation to that of his neighbors. Eroded: A handout aerial image released by the US Army on 15 September 2013 shows damage and flooding to infrastructure destroyed by heavy rains, with some areas receiving as much as 18 inches in a 24-hour period 'At least all of our stuff's there and will be there when we get back. The people right by the river, their houses were washed away. Other people thought their houses were going to be OK, and then they started to go. It's just really devastating.' Across the foothills, rescuers made progress against the floodwaters. But they were still unable to go up many narrow canyon roads that were either underwater or washed out. President Obama signed a disaster declaration and ordered federal aid for Colorado on Saturday. The White House said in a statement that it was making federal funding available to affected individuals in Boulder County. The government said that other counties could be added later. The military put more troops on the ground and helicopters in the air to aid in the search-and-rescue effort. By Saturday night, 1,750 people and 300 pets had been evacuated from Boulder and Larimer County, National Guard Lt. James Goff said. Destroyed: Cars lie wrecked by raging flood-waters near to Boulder, Colorado after days of heavy rain in the state Demolished: The walls of this home have been washed away on South Platte River Colorado residents wade through flooded streets Wrecked: Only the roof of a Jamestown house remains after flash floods ripped through the town Cut off: A farm house is completely surrounded by rising water Evacuation: Residents have been told if they don't leave they risk being cut off for two weeks Over 85 fifth-graders airlifted from Colorado flooding areas An aerial view of vehicles submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado Underwater: The small farming town of Milliken, CO, has been surrounded by waters that first turned it into an island, but are now inundating homes Runaway homes: Trailer homes are floating off their foundations as rushing waters sweep them away Not just homes: Farms and farm equipment are also being destroyed by the treacherous waters Unprecedented: The 12 inches of rain recorded since Sept 1 has set an all-time record for the month, and even more is on the way Sludge: Brian Montgomery wades through thick mud in the basement of his mother's home Deserted: Residents are being taken to evacuation centers amid reports of more storms Access: Heavy equipment is used to try to clear debris from a road covered in 20ft banks of mud Damage: An estimated $150 million of repair work will be needed to fix roads and bridges that have been washed away Cut off: A farm house has been turned into an island as flood water rises near Greenley, Colorado By land: The Army National Guard has brought in heavy equipment meant to assist in the rescue of trapped residents Or by sea: Officials are also using motorboats to help save trapped people Shocked: Residents are shell-shocked, many have lost everything, as a result of the historic floods Waterlogged: Cattle brave the fierce waters on higher ground as everything around them is swept away Swamped: A railway track in Longmont is lost under floodwater Ruined: Trailer homes have been washed away in the water The surge: Flash-flooding continues in the Boulder-area of Colorado after three days of record-breaking rainfall Overflowing: The heavy rains have impacted a large stretch of Colorado from Fort Collins near the northern border with Wyoming, all the way to Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs more than 100 miles south Geysers of sewage: A Sewer in Manitou Springs is overwhelmed by rainfall yesterday, gurgling the overflow of water Record-breaking: Over 12 inches of rain has fallen since September 1, which shatters the previous record set in the 1940s of 5.5 inches View from above: Satellite imaging shows the storm system that swept over the eastern Colorado area on September 11, starting flash-floods that have killed three so far Flee: The floods have displaced thousands of human residents, but also the wildlife in Colorado. Above, a deer jumps over a sidewalk in a flood-damaged area of Boulder Aerial views of flood damage as death toll rises in Colorado 'Wall of water': Around midnight, officials said they were monitoring a wall of water headed toward the area of Emerson Gulch Churning: Boulder Creek is overflowing and threatening the city of Boulder, which it runs right through Swept away: The 30-foot wall of water was caused when a drainage gulch burst and swept up debris and vehicles in it's path Won't stop: Rain continued to fall in Colorado today, only adding to the already dangerous flash-flooding Stream: Water spills over a hillside home at the base of Boulder Canyon today Emergency situation: The National Guard has been dispatched to help rescue people stranded in their homes Exploring: Umbrella-toting residents take pictures of the damage the flooding had on a street in Boulder on Friday Home invasion: A couple returns to find their home Friday to find it water-damaged from the previous days floods Survivor: So far, officials have announced three deaths related to the flooding. Above, a man is rescued by emergency workers after he spent the night trapped on high ground above his home Battling the storm: A man in Boulder attempts to make a mud barrier to protect his house from the flooding Boots are no use: Homeowner Hannah Hinseth returns to her home to survey the damage caused by the severe flooding Street sweepers: Residents shovel debris to form a protective dike in a neighborhood of Boulder Cut-off: Towns like Magnolia, above, have been completely shut off after the raging waters washed out roads Waiting for rescue: All road access to the town of Lyons, Colorado was cut-off and National Guard troops have been dispatched to bring residents emergency supplies. Above a wiped out road near the base of Boulder Canyon Baby's first flood: A young family take a walk on Friday to survey the damage in their Boulder neighborhood A river runs through it: Lefthand Creek runs down a neighborhood street in Longmont, Colorado Friday Clean-up: Today, a farmer is seen clearing debris from railroad tracks in Longmont, Colorado Back at last: Evelyn Mortiz carries her luggage barefoot back home after spending the night with friends during the mandatory evacuation in her area Cleaning house: Lucas Calderon-Griek uses a broom to sweep out the water from his home in Upland Aid: Colorado National Guardsmen help relocate a family trapped at their heavily-flooded home Record-breaking: The former record for rainfall during the month of September was 5.5 inches. That's been shattered already with the National Weather Service saying that 12.3 inches have fallen

Weather gone wild! Incredible National Geographic pictures show the awesome power of mother nature across America Breath-taking photographs of wild weather conditions plaguing areas across the United States in 2011 have showcased the untamed hand of Mother Nature. The apocalyptic collection of images, published in the September 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine, captures ‘rains that are almost biblical, heat waves that don't end and tornadoes that strike in savage swarms,' summing up what was a truly incredible year of extreme weather systems. Well-placed photographer Daniel Bryant was in the Valley of the Sun in July 2011 to capture the massive dust storm that descended upon the Arizona capital of Phoenix. The biggest dust storm in living memory rolls into Phoenix on July 5, 2011, reducing visibility to zero. Desert thunderstorms kicked up the mile-high wall of dust and sand. Photograph by Daniel Bryant The tempest of historic proportions rolled through the city as residents scrambled for cover and thousands were left without power in the scorching desert heat. More... A Vietnamese adventure: Gourmet delights and new adventures in a rising Asian idyll Today is hottest day of the year so far as mercury hits 31.7°C... and forecasters say it's going to be even hotter tomorrow Severe droughts in the Lone Star State were described as 'gut-kicking even by Texas standards’ and photographer Robb Kendrick depicted the devastation of the rainless region in his spectacular collection of images. Dubbed the ‘New Dust Bowl,’ the epic dry spell was judged to be even more severe than the extreme drought of the 1950s, with Texas farmers losing an estimated $8 billion due to the lack of rain in 2011. Gusting winds fling dirt from barren cotton fields onto Farm to Market Road 303, near a small community called Pep. Parts of West Texas saw next to no rainfall in 2011. Photograph by Robb Kendrick Fortified by a levee, a house near Vicksburg survives a Yazoo River flood in May 2011. Snowmelt and intense rains, eight times as much rainfall as usual in parts of the Mississippi River watershed, triggered floods that caused three to four billion dollars in damages. Photograph by Scott Olson But the wild weather conditions were not limited to dust storms and droughts. In May 2011, melting snow and rainfall eight times the normal level caused the Mississippi River to break its banks, devastating the area and resulting in an estimated $4 billion of damage to local homes and businesses. Photographer Scott Olson was there, capturing awe-inspiring images of the deluge from above. For a separate National Geographic photo spread, titled 'Chasing Lightning', photographer Carsten Peter followed storm tracker Tim Samaras as he tempted fate to get as close as possible to powerful lightening bolts around the U.S. As he waits for a wave of thunderstorms to form along Colorado's Front Range, Samaras readies the 1,600-pound camera he calls the Kahuna. Photograph by Carsten Peter Back on the highway with the Kahuna in tow, Samaras hunts for the elusive shot. This summer he's on the chase again, with new, nimbler equipment. Photograph by Carsten Peter Guided by the laptop weather map reflected in his window, Tim Samaras rushes to catch up to a dying thunderstorm. He hopes to be the first to photograph the split-second event that triggers a lightning strike. Photograph by Carsten Peter Flash floods caused by six inches of rain in Boulder and Jefferson Counties Mandatory evacuation orders issued for parts of Jamestown and Fourmile At least three deaths have been reported Flood warnings for Broomfield, Adams, Weld, Larimer, and El Paso counties Scores of homes have been destroyed and at least three people killed after heavy overnight rainfall sparked flash flooding across Colorado in the early hours this morning. Flooding was reported from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, more than 100 miles south. Boulder County, including the city of Boulder, was one of the hardest hit areas, with as much as six inches falling in just 12 hours overnight into this morning causing rock and mudslides. Four more inches are expected to fall today, prompting local officials to call in the National Guard and FEMA. Scroll down to watch video Emergency: Three people have been killed and hundreds evacuated after heavy rains overnight caused flash-flooding in Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Strong: The flash flooding tore apart streets, which caused three vehicles to crash into a creek in Broomfield, Colorado today Pile-up: Flash-flooding is affecting other areas of Colorado outside Boulder including Coal Creek, above, near Golden Colorado Surrounded: A home is stranded in the the flash-flooding of Coal Creek near Golden, Colorado Affected areas: Mandatory evacuation ordered have been issued for parts of Jamestown and Fourmile in Boulder County, Colarado, while parts of northwest Jefferson County have also seen flash floods Residents ride doughnut rings in Boulder Colorado flash floods Officials have already reported three deaths connected to the flooding. Two were found in Boulder County. One of the bodies was found in a building that collapsed in Jamestown. The third body was found in Colorado Springs by emergency crews on flood-watch patrol. Sheriff Pelle said it was possible that the death toll would rise throughout the day. 'This event is not over. It’s far from over. It’s continuing to build,’ Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said. The National Weather Service warned there would be an ‘extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation’ in the region. They warned residents: ‘Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life.’ Several emergency shelters have been set up within the area. One shelter has been set up at Lyons Elementary School where 200 evacuees were being brought blankets and supplies by the National Guard. Extremely dangerous: A Boulder Office of Emergency Management spokesman says the flooding is 'extremely dangerous' Washed up: Three men at Namaste Solar help remove debris from behind the business after the floor swept through North Boulder on Thursday Battered: The flash flooding has hit Boulder, Colorado the hardest Rushing waters: A man takes a picture of the dangerously high Boulder Creek after the overnight flash-flooding in downtown Boulder Churning: The widespread flooding in Colorado has already led to three reported deaths Destruction: The flash flooding has left cars stranded. Above, first responders rescue a man from his overturned car Safe: Emergency crews were able to pull the man trapped in his car to safety Michael Aisner, who lives in the Pinebrook area, says his entire neighborhood was evacuated. He was at the hospital visiting a friend when his area was evacuated, so his roommates left by car and drove up to a saddle road for safety. They heard a friend's parents were trapped in a nearby home where boulders were smashing into the house and the home was sliding due to the heavy mud. They rescued the elderly couple who proceeded to hike over a mountain and hitchhike to a local hotel for shelter. Aisner just got word that his house is still in tact and plans to spend another night at the hospital. Overflow: A bicyclist stands underneath an overflowing bridge last night in Boulder Not stopping: Forecasters expect four more inches of rain to fall in the area Thursday The damage: A city worker surveys the water levels on Boulder Creek Thursday morning after overnight flash-flooding Boulder Police dispatchers have been receiving calls of flooding basements and homes and of flooded streets and submerged cars. Authorities said the flooding has made many Boulder streets impassable. Emergency Management Director Mike Chard said people should avoid creeks and waterways, and not attempt to cross flooded intersections in their cars. A spokeswoman for Boulder Police and Fire Department told NBC News that water levels have reached first-floor windows in some parts of the city with people trapped inside their homes or vehicles. She said: 'There was one woman that was on top of a vehicle and the vehicle was actually on its side.' Protecting students: The University of Colorado: Boulder has evacuated students from first-floor dorms Citizen journalists: Colorado residents took to Instagram to capture the beautiful, yet scary, flooding in downtown Boulder Currents: The high waters almost overtake a park bench in a wooded area of Boulder Another office of Emergency Management spokesman said that the conditions were 'extremely dangerous'. There is water everywhere,' said spokesman Andrew Barth. 'We've had several structural collapses, there's mud and mulch and debris everywhere. Cars are stranded all over the place. Hundred have been evacuated from their homes in parts of Jamestown and Fourmile in Boulder, while over 400 students at the University of Colorado were being evacuated from their first floor dorms. The university is reported that 40 buildings have been damaged by water – 25 per cent of the campus. A university spokesman said it could be two to three weeks before certain students can return to their residence halls. Overtaken: Overnight flash-flooding has drowned parts of this park in downtown Boulder Rising waters: Instagram user Jud Valeski wrote 'Glad we rebuilt that bridge recently' Morning rush: A police officer in Boulder monitors the traffic after last night's flash flooding Trapped: The flash flooding happened so fast that people were trapped in their homes and cars and dive teams had to rescue them Get out: Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for parts of Jamestown and Fourmile in Boulder Knee-deep water: Residents in Boulder, Colorado, walk through a flooded underpass after heavy rainfall Evacuation: Towns have been evacuated after the National Weather Service warned of 'life-threatening' flash floods in Boulder County and northwest Jefferson County Flood water: Residents can be seen wading through flood water in Boulder, Colorado, as authorities warned of life-threatening flash floods Wading: Stranded cars are towed out of the water by crews on South Boulder Road Off road: A piece of road was swept away and caused three cars to crash into a creek Storage under water: David Platco looks over a flooded and damage storage facility in North Boulder Pranks: Some residents took the flooding less seriously and decided to use water inflatables to get around The flooding happened so fast that many people were trapped in their homes and cars when water started to surround them. Emergency crews in Lafayette County rescued one man trapped in his overturned car. Others have been rescued sitting on top of their cars and still in their homes. The flood waters have turned the town of Lyons into an island since it has wiped out all of the surrounding roads. The overflowing creeks have been so strong in some parts that they have ripped right through roads and taken cars in with them. Dillon Road in Broomfield, Colorado was washed out, causing three cars to crash into the raging creek below. This is not your ordinary day. It is not your ordinary disaster,’ said Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. ‘We’ve lost roads, we’ve lost bridges, we’ve lost homes, cars. And we’re only just now assessing the damage.’ Kari Bowen of the Weather Service agrees: ‘These constants rainstorms we typically don’t see (in eastern Colorado).’ Since the flooding has made transport impossible in most parts of Boulder, there have been widespread school and highway closures. In Lyons, Colorado, the water has overflowed a sewage plant and the residents have been ordered to drink only boiled or bottled water. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low. Meanwhile, thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. For the first time since the harrowing mountain floods began Wednesday, Colorado got its first broad view of the devastation - and the reality of what is becoming a long-term disaster is setting in. The flooding has affected parts of a 4,500-square-mile area, almost the size of Connecticut. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO The surge: Flash-flooding continues in the Boulder-area of Colorado after three days of record-breaking rainfall Overflowing: The heavy rains have impacted a large stretch of Colorado from Fort Collins near the northern border with Wyoming, all the way to Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs more than 100 miles south Geysers of sewage: A Sewer in Manitou Springs is overwhelmed by rainfall yesterday, gurgling the overflow of water National Guard choppers were evacuating 295 people - plus pets - from the mountain hamlet of Jamestown, which was isolated by flooding that scoured the canyon the town sits in. Mike Smith, incident commander at Boulder Municipal Airport, said helicopters would continue flying in and out late into the night. The outlook for anyone who'd rather stay is weeks without power, cell phone service, water or sewer. For those awaiting an airlift, Guardsmen dropped food, water and other supplies in Jamestown and other small towns in the winding, narrow canyons that dot the Rocky Mountain foothills. Thousands of evacuees sought shelter in cities that were nearly surrounded by raging rivers spilling over their banks. The dayslong rush of water from higher ground has killed four people and turned towns on Colorado's expansive eastern plains into muddy swamps. Crews used inflatable boats to rescue families and pets from stranded farmhouses. Some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safe ground. Boulder County officials said Friday night that the number of people unaccounted for had risen to 172, according to local television and newspaper reports. Record-breaking: Over 12 inches of rain has fallen since September 1, which shatters the previous record set in the 1940s of 5.5 inches View from above: Satellite imaging shows the storm system that swept over the eastern Colorado area on September 11, starting flash-floods that have killed three so far Flee: The floods have displaced thousands of human residents, but also the wildlife in Colorado. Above, a deer jumps over a sidewalk in a flood-damaged area of Boulder Colorado farming communities evacuate as flood waters loom The officials said earlier that the unaccounted for figure doesn't necessarily represent missing people. Near Greeley, some 35 miles east of the foothills, broad swaths of farmland had become lakes, and hundreds of roads were closed or damaged by floodwaters. A 70-mile stretch of Interstate 25 was closed from Denver to the Wyoming line. Rocky Mountain National Park closed Friday, its visitors forced to leave via the 60-mile Trail Ridge Road to the west side of the Rockies. It will be weeks, if not months, before a semblance of normalcy returns to Lyons, a gateway community to the park. The town, surrounded by sandstone cliffs whose color was reflected in the raging St. Vrain River, consisted of six islands Friday as residents barbecued their food before it spoiled. Several people set up a tent camp on a hill. Some 2,500 residents were being evacuated from Lyons. Two bridges that led into the area were washed away. Aerial views of flood damage as death toll rises in Colorado 'Wall of water': Around midnight, officials said they were monitoring a wall of water headed toward the area of Emerson Gulch Churning: Boulder Creek is overflowing and threatening the city of Boulder, which it runs right through Swept away: The 30-foot wall of water was caused when a drainage gulch burst and swept up debris and vehicles in it's path Won't stop: Rain continued to fall in Colorado today, only adding to the already dangerous flash-flooding Stream: Water spills over a hillside home at the base of Boulder Canyon today Emergency situation: The National Guard has been dispatched to help rescue people stranded in their homes 'There's so much water coming out of the canyon, it has to go somewhere, and unfortunately it's coming into the city,' said Ashlee Herring, spokeswoman for the Boulder office of Emergency Management. Boulder Creek, which runs through the heart of the city, became a raging torrent that burst its banks and flooded adjacent parking lots and streets as warning sirens wailed. Officials in Boulder announced just before midnight Thursday that they were tracking a large 'wall of water, containing debris and vehicles' headed towards Emerson Gulch from the Fourmile burn area. The Denver Post reported that the 30-foot wall of water was caused by a drainage gulch that burst and released a large amount of water which swept up debris and vehicles in it's path. Other towns nestled along the Front Range of the Rockies north of Denver were also hard hit. In Longmont about 14 miles northeast of Boulder, the St Vrain River jumped its banks, cascading across main thoroughfares and making travel across the city impossible overnight. Exploring: Umbrella-toting residents take pictures of the damage the flooding had on a street in Boulder on Friday Home invasion: A couple returns to find their home Friday to find it water-damaged from the previous days floods Survivor: So far, officials have announced three deaths related to the flooding. Above, a man is rescued by emergency workers after he spent the night trapped on high ground above his home Battling the storm: A man in Boulder attempts to make a mud barrier to protect his house from the flooding Boots are no use: Homeowner Hannah Hinseth returns to her home to survey the damage caused by the severe flooding Street sweepers: Residents shovel debris to form a protective dike in a neighborhood of Boulder 'Our city is completely divided,' by the floodwaters, assistant city manager Shawn Lewis told Reuters. Lewis said 7,000 households were under mandatory evacuation orders. The city opened two emergency shelters for displaced residents. President Barack Obama approved a federal disaster assistance request, which will release funds to help with emergency protection, Governor John Hickenlooper's office said late on Thursday. National Guard troops were dispatched with emergency supplies to the remote town of Lyons, north of Boulder, which was virtually cut off from surrounding areas when floodwaters washed out U.S. Route 36, county officials said. Cut-off: Towns like Magnolia, above, have been completely shut off after the raging waters washed out roads Waiting for rescue: All road access to the town of Lyons, Colorado was cut-off and National Guard troops have been dispatched to bring residents emergency supplies. Above a wiped out road near the base of Boulder Canyon Baby's first flood: A young family take a walk on Friday to survey the damage in their Boulder neighborhood A river runs through it: Lefthand Creek runs down a neighborhood street in Longmont, Colorado Friday Clean-up: Today, a farmer is seen clearing debris from railroad tracks in Longmont, Colorado Back at last: Evelyn Mortiz carries her luggage barefoot back home after spending the night with friends during the mandatory evacuation in her area A dozen major roads in northeastern Colorado remained shut with significant damage from flooding, mudslides, rockfalls and other debris, the Colorado Department of Transportation said late on Thursday. Heavy summer rains are not unusual for Colorado, but the intensity and duration of the downpour that began on Monday night was unprecedented. The National Weather Service said at least 12.3 inches of rain have fallen on Boulder since September 1, smashing a 73-year-old record of 5.5 inches for the month. Cleaning house: Lucas Calderon-Griek uses a broom to sweep out the water from his home in Upland Aid: Colorado National Guardsmen help relocate a family trapped at their heavily-flooded home Record-breaking: The former record for rainfall during the month of September was 5.5 inches. That's been shattered already with the National Weather Service saying that 12.3 inches have fallen Wreckage: A man cleans up Canon Avenue after a flash flood burst a manhole and sent water rushing down the streets of Manitou Pop-up pool: A couple play in the flooded Utah Park in Aurora, Colorado yesterday Back to work: Men at Namaste Solar are pictured clearing debris off of their work site today in Boulder One body was found in a collapsed building near Jamestown, an evacuated enclave north of Boulder. A couple were swept away in floodwaters after stopping their car northwest of the city. The man's body was recovered but the woman was missing and feared dead, said Commander Heidi Prentup of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The body of a third confirmed fatality, a 54-year-old man, was found by police on flood-watch patrols in a Colorado Springs creek, about 100 miles to the south, officials said. On Friday, a woman who had been swept away was found dead near Boulder, raising the death toll to four. Nearly 150 people were killed near Boulder in 1976 by a flash flood along the Big Thompson Canyon. Out of control: The heavy rainfalls have turned Boulder Creek into a raging river with enough power to wash out roads Ominous: Clouds cover the Denver skyline early this morning. It continues to rain in the area Up in the air: A Rocky Mountain Rescue Team prepares to depart in a National Guard piloted helicopter Swamped: A National Guard vehicle drives through a flooded area in Boulder County Thursday as rain continued to pour Pup saved! This family's poodle couldn't be left behind Distractions: Carolyn Hornung, distracted by her phone, casually stands in flowing water outside her house in Boulder, Colorado Friday A woman who was reported missing after a mudslide and flash flood, that killed a 53-year-old driver and knocked down houses, has been found safe, it emerged today. Six homes were destroyed and about 30 others were damaged when the mudslide and flash flooding hit Manitou Spring after heavy rain fell in an area destroyed by wildfire last year. Many people were forced to cling to trees and scramble up cliffs by the sides of roads to escape the torrent of mud and silt. Scroll down for video Trail of destruction: A pick up truck is crushed under boulders and trees uprooted by the flood Tide of debris: Rubble and branches were swept into yards and houses As heavy rain continued to fall on the small city, residents and business owners did their best to salvage belongings and clear up the damage, while wrecked cars were towed from the streets and highway. Victim: John Collins was found buried under mud The area has become more vulnerable to flash floods after damage caused by wildfires last year left the scorched soil less able to absorb water. 'This is the first year of the burn scar. We've got nine more years of this,' Colorado Springs fire lieutenant Steve Schopper said. When the storm hit on Friday it swept mud, boulders and other debris into Manitou Springs, which has a population of about 5,000 people. Initial reports said two people had been killed but one of them, a woman who asked not to be identified, was later found safe. Another woman has revealed details of her dramatic escape, after her rental home was swept away by a 4ft wall of mud and floodwater. 'I lost everything, but I survived it. I'm so happy I survived,' Laura Hunter said. Ms Hunter was at home when water started coming in her living room window. She said she went to the front door thinking she would be able to head to higher ground, but was swept away. The 49-year-old, who broke her leg in the ordeal, managed to grab hold of a tree and then crawl to a ridge where neighbors rescued her. My Colorado flash flood ordeal Forceful: The 4ft wall of mud and floodwater wrecked cars and homes when it hit Rescued: Laura Hunter was pulled to safety after being trapped by the floodwater, which swept away her home Clean up: Volunteers help clear mud from a cafe in Manitou Springs Her rented home was washed away, but a firefighter returned her ID and bank cards and a friend salvaged her bicycle. 'My long-term goals are just to be really grateful for my life, and I want to form really healthy relationships. That's the most important thing to me now,' she told reporters at Penrose Hospital, Colorado Springs. The mudslides claimed the life of one victim. John Collins, 53, was killed when the mudslide hit Highway 24. John Collins, of Teller County, was found buried under debris next to his car, El Paso police said. It was not clear if Mr Collins, who had been driving home from work, had tried to flee on foot or whether the force of the mudslide pushed him from his car. Help: A boy helps volunteers as they ruined stock from shops and businesses Blocked: Banks of silt and vegetation are cleared from the roads Unstable: A firefighter checks a mud-spattered house that was wrecked in the flood Wrecked: Pastor Dan Parton walks through the mud-filled basement of the Timberline Baptist Church Damage: Parts of a road were washed away, leaving the safety barrier hanging perilously over a sheer drop Clean up: Volunteers and construction workers try to clear the silt and debris as more heavy rain falls Friends remembered him as a gentle man who enjoyed gardening and dressing as Santa at Christmas. 'It was always the highlight of my children's Christmas to be able to sit on his lap,' family friend Jessica Russ-Medovich told the Gazette. 'It was something that they will never forget.' As more heavy rain fell yesterday, residents tried to salvage their belongings and secure their homes from further damage. Many have been forced to clean up and rebuild their homes before, according to CBS Denver, and some said they were not sure if they could cope with doing it again. Swarms of volunteers have arrived to help residents clear away the banks of silt left in homes and businesses. However, a woman who lives close to the Timberline Baptist Church said looters were seen rifling through items volunteers had salvaged from the church and left to clean to the parking lot. 'They were going through the stuff, just seeing what they could get,' the woman told CBS Denver. At least 20 cars were swept away on Friday. Kathryn Presnal, of Cascade, recounted how she ran from her car and scrambled up a cliff by the road, pulling another driver up with her, as the flood hit. Danger: A woman runs for cover as heavy rain continues to fall, bring fears of more flash floods Prepared: Residents stack sandbags along the streets to try to prevent further flooding Salvage: Business owners stack up items they have managed to pull out of their ruined shops Heartbreaking: Neighbors comfort each other after the floods, which are likely to hit again because of wildfire damage Community spirit: Residents help clear out mud from businesses and homes 'I grabbed her hand and pulled her up,' the Colorado Springs school principal said. 'We stood there and watched our cars float away.' City officials are trying to protect the area from further flood damage, including building 11 catch basins. 'With the amount of rain that we received Friday, nothing that we could have done could have prevented the kind of flooding we had,' Dave Hunting, a spokesman for the city government said. 'Just Mother Nature doing her thing.'       Almost 100 children and teachers left stranded by flash flooding near to Boulder, Colorado, rescued in dramatic airlift Heavy rains that started Wednesday sparked flash-flooding from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs Residents urged to leave now or risk being stranded for weeks without water or power The National Weather service says there has been over 12 inches of rainfall since September 1, breaking the 73-year-old record for the month Surging floodwaters in Boulder led to the evacuation of about 4,000 residents late Thursday President Obama has approved a federal disaster assistance request for the area and National Guard have been dispatched Almost 100 school school children and teachers left stranded for two days by the massive flooding that hit around Boulder, Colorado were airlifted to safety on Saturday as the number of presumed dead rose to six - with over 700 more missing. The students from Fireside Elementary School in Louisville, Colorado - around 10 miles to the southeast of Boulder - were trapped when flood-waters burst over roads at an outdoor education center in Jamestown. The 85 fifth graders and 14 adults were lifted from the mountainside by helicopter and taken to Boulder Municipal Airport where they were loaded onto buses and reunited with their emotional parents at Fireside Elementary on Saturday evening. Safe: Bonnie Dannelly hugs her daughter Makayla after she got off the bus at Fireside Elementary in Louisville, on Saturday. Makayla Dannelly was one of over 80 Fireside 5th graders who were trapped above Jamestown at Camp Cal-Wood Military Operation: A handout aerial image released by the US Army on 15 September 2013 shows 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, soldiers evacuating fifth-grade students from Firewood Elementary 'All the kids are down from the mountains and either delivered here or en route,' said Briggs Gamblin, a spokesman for the Boulder Valley School District. Despite being trapped by the rising flood-waters, the children ate tacos with all the fixings for dinner on Friday evening and were kept occupied by a dance party. 'Last night around 5 o'clock we got a request from the National Guard for assistance,' said Major Earl Brown, deputy public affairs officer for the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. In total, seven helicopters, including four Blackhawks, were used to airlift the children and adults out of the area. Pulled to Safety: The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade was able to assist state and local emergency response efforts under the Immediate Response Authority Rescued: Families cheer as a bus carrying several Fireside Elementary 5th graders who were trapped at Camp-Calwood arrive to school in Louisville, Colorado on September 14, 2013 'We're just a part of a whole team effort to help those folks out there in Boulder County,' said Brown to NBC News. As rain continued to fall on Sunday in Colorado, efforts to search for the missing were hampered as the National Guard grounded all helicopters in the state. 'It's unlikely at this point that we'll be able to reach those who are stranded in the hard-to-reach areas,' said Kim Kobel, a spokesperson for Boulder's Office of Emergency Management to CNN. Governor John Hickenlooper, told CNN on Sunday morning that he hopes many of the missing are simply out of reach of communications and have 'already gotten out or are staying with friends.' 'But,' he added, 'we're still bracing. I mean, there are many, many homes that have been destroyed.' An aerial view of mobile homes submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado September 14, 2013 A section of highway is washed out by flooding along the South Platte River in Weld County, Colorado near Greeley, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 Lucky: Jon Tarkington with his daughter Evy, 1, look over a diversion dam built in the intersection of 7th Street and University Ave on University Hill in Boulder, Colorado on Saturday Result: A farm house is surrounded by water from flooding on the South Platte River near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 Crossroads: As heavy rains return after somewhat abating for two days, a field fills with water from overflowing creeks nearby, outside Longmont, Colorado on Sunday Sept. 15, 2013 Frantic: Dean Beacom works to save his home from a flash flood near 19th Street and Upland Avenue, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 as Steve Gabel (left) and Patrick Muir move a soaked couch out from Muir's apartment Justin Slyter with Par Electrical Contractors looks over fallen power poles in a office complex on Arapahoe Avenue next to Eben G Fine Park in Boulder on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013 Sheriff Justin Smith visited areas 'somewhat cut off from the rest of the world,' he said. Smith cautioned that the death toll from the disaster would almost certainly rise and that it may already be as high as six. The four confirmed deaths so far include those of a man and a woman, both 19, who were swept away after leaving their car Thursday in Boulder County. Another person was found in a collapsed home in Jamestown and rescuers found a body on a roadway in Colorado Springs. The fourth person who has been confirmed as a victim of the flooding is a 60-year-old woman who was witnessed being swept away by water that had leveled her home. Damage: A car lies on its side in a mud slide on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colo. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding Swept away: A large chunk of road near Greenley, Colorado, has been demolished by the flood Torn: Evan Russack with his son Trevor, 6, look over Pennsylvania Ave on University Hill which was cut in two by flooding on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013 Collapsed: Lefthand Canyon Road near the intersection of Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Boulder. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding To date, four people are thought to have died as a result of the flood-waters which have swept through Boulder after days of rain. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that it is still tracking flood-waters on Saturday and the Boulder Office of Emergency Management told residents on Twitter not to drive through water. 'We are assuming there may be further loss of life and injuries,' Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said on Saturday. 'Given the devastation on some of those canyons, it's definitely a high probability.' Colorado residents are bracing themselves for further flooding and devastation, with more storms due to hit on Sunday. Relief: Brian Montgomery helps his mother Barbara Yanari to clean up the mud in her flooded basement on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder, Colorado Escape: Anita and Art Powner evacuate with their dogs Zypher and Lexus on Saturday, Sept. 14, on Olde Stage Road in Boulder. Rescuers rushed by land and by air Saturday to evacuate Coloradoans stranded More than 500 people are missing and at least four people have died, with another victim believed to be dead, after flash floods. Many residents are still stranded in their homes as rescue workers try to reach them. Boulder county officials fear rescue attempts will be hampered by the extra 4in of rain due on Sunday. Rescue teams are warning people in some Colorado towns isolated by devastating flooding against remaining there, telling them that they could face weeks without basic supplies, including running water and electricity. Helicopters and truck convoys of the National Guard carried the admonition Saturday into paralyzed canyon communities where thousands of stranded residents were eager to escape the Rocky Mountain foothills. But not everybody was willing to go. Dozens of people in hard hit Jamestown wanted to stay to watch over their homes. Authorities made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while. Rescuers won't go back for people who insist on staying, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said. 'We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,' Pelle said. Clearing weather offers relief in flood-hit Colorado Aerial: Photographs shows the damage and flooding to infrastructure destroyed by heavy rains, with some areas receiving as much as 18 inches in a 24-hour period, in Boulder, Colorado Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday Special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, was torn about leaving his Jamestown home. 'I was thinking about staying. I could have lasted at least a year. I have a lot of training in wilderness survival,' he said, adding that he probably had enough beer to last the whole time. As he sat outside a makeshift shelter at a high school, Shultz floated the idea of walking back into the funky mountain town. 'If we hike back, I would stay there and just live. I'd rather be at our own house than staying at some other people's houses,' he said. His wife, Meagan Harrington, gave him a wry smile. About 10 of their neighbors declined to evacuate, she said. 'They said they wouldn't force you, but it was strongly encouraged,' she said. Shultz teared up behind his sunglasses as he compared his situation to that of his neighbors. Eroded: A handout aerial image released by the US Army on 15 September 2013 shows damage and flooding to infrastructure destroyed by heavy rains, with some areas receiving as much as 18 inches in a 24-hour period 'At least all of our stuff's there and will be there when we get back. The people right by the river, their houses were washed away. Other people thought their houses were going to be OK, and then they started to go. It's just really devastating.' Across the foothills, rescuers made progress against the floodwaters. But they were still unable to go up many narrow canyon roads that were either underwater or washed out. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration and ordered federal aid for Colorado. The White House said in a statement Saturday night that the action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Boulder County. The government said that other counties could be added later. Te city of Longmont ordered a curfew from 10 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday in flood zones and evacuation areas, urging residents to remain indoors. On Saturday, the surge of water reached the plains east of the mountains, cutting off more communities and diverting some rescue operations. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover portions of an area nearly the size of Connecticut. Destroyed: Cars lie wrecked by raging flood-waters near to Boulder, Colorado after days of heavy rain in the state Some of those who are unaccounted for may be stranded or injured. Others might have gotten out but not yet contacted friends and relatives, officials said. Police expected to find more bodies as the full scope of damage emerges. A woman was missing and presumed dead after witnesses saw floodwaters from the Big Thompson River destroy her home in the Cedar Cove area, Larimer County sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said. 'I expect that we're going to continue to receive reports of confirmed missing and confirmed fatalities throughout the next several days,' he said. Two fatalities were identified by the Boulder County coroner Saturday as Wesley Quinlan and Wiyanna Nelson, both 19. Authorities believe the couple died when they were swept away after driving into floodwaters and then leaving their vehicle. Their cause of death is under investigation. The military put more troops on the ground and helicopters in the air to aid in the search-and-rescue effort. By Saturday night, 1,750 people and 300 pets had been evacuated from Boulder and Larimer County, National Guard Lt. James Goff said. The airlifts will continue Sunday with helicopter crews expanding their searches east to include Longmont, Fort Collins and Weld County. It was not clear how many people were still stranded. Demolished: The walls of this home have been washed away on South Platte River A helicopter taking Gov. John Hickenlooper on a tour of the flooded areas even got in the act, stopping twice to pick up six stranded people and their two pets. Terry Kishiyama's son flagged down a helicopter with his shirt after a three-day wait for rescue from a neighbor's house on higher ground. 'You could hear the choppers for miles and miles, but I didn't know if they were evacuating people. You see a chopper going down behind a ridge, and you have no clue,' Kishiyama said. In addition to his son's efforts, Kishiyama said his wife shouted at the chopper, 'We have babies!' More than 85 fifth-graders from Louisville were greeted by their parents and friends Saturday after they were rescued from an outdoor education center near Jamestown. Above Larimer County, rescue crews airlifted 475 people to safety and planned to resume helicopter searches on Sunday, weather permitting. Rain was expected to start up again in the mountains and foothills, with between a half-inch and 2 inches forecast to fall overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Crews also used inflatable boats to pick up families and pets from farmhouses on Saturday. Some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safe ground. Near Greeley, 35 miles east of the foothills, broad swaths of farmland had become lakes, and the raging South Platte and Poudre rivers surrounded more homes. In one Boulder neighborhood, residents turned back city crews and machinery that arrived to remove the makeshift berms and sand-filled trash bags protecting their homes. University of Colorado students helped homeowners improvise a way to divert the rising water from Gregory Creek. 'The residents know better than anybody else how the water flows through the neighborhood,' said Colleen Scanlan Lyons. In communities where floodwaters began receding, homeowners had a chance to assess damage. In Laporte, Wendy Clark surveyed soggy carpets and furniture that got damaged by the Poudre River. 'This mud smells disgusting,' she said. 'I don't know how long that's going to be around.' Colorado residents wade through flooded streets Wrecked: Only the roof of a Jamestown house remains after flash floods ripped through the town Cut off: A farm house is completely surrounded by rising water Evacuation: Residents have been told if they don't leave they risk being cut off for two weeks Over 85 fifth-graders airlifted from Colorado flooding areas Authorities who still haven't reached all the stranded victims of floods in northeastern Colorado are bracing for a new round of storms on Sunday. Already it is estimated that it will cost $150 million to repair more than 100 miles of road and at least 20 bridges that have been washed away. County transportation director George Gerstle told CNN the repair bill is likely to be 10 to 15 the annual budget. A sheriff's office spokesman said hundreds of people were unaccounted for, but added that some residents may have reached safety but not been able to contact relatives to tell them. More... 'Wall of water' hits Boulder, Colorado as floods continue for fourth day - and now it's raining AGAIN The dramatic moment hero saves mom and daughter left balancing on roof of their car in rising Colorado floods as thousands are ordered to evacuate area 'Like a devil flicking that tongue': FCC flooded with complaints over Miley Cyrus' raunchy VMA performance Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said authorities had to be 'realistic' about the chances that the death toll will rise. With the rain never seeming to end and the waters continuing to rise, more than 4,000 people near Boulder, Colorado, have been evacuated as nearby Milliken has been surrounded by water and turned into an island, according to reports. The reality of what is becoming a long-term disaster is setting in, flooding has affected parts of a 4,500-square-mile area almost the size of Connecticut. An aerial view of vehicles submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado Underwater: The small farming town of Milliken, CO, has been surrounded by waters that first turned it into an island, but are now inundating homes Runaway homes: Trailer homes are floating off their foundations as rushing waters sweep them away Not just homes: Farms and farm equipment are also being destroyed by the treacherous waters Unprecedented: The 12 inches of rain recorded since Sept 1 has set an all-time record for the month, and even more is on the way In the most recent developments, people are stranded in Milliken after the main road out of town was washed away by raging floodwaters, according to CBS Denver. As the devastating rapids rise, they wash away more of the road, and flood ever closer to even more homes. 'The fire department said Milliken is an island but I found a way out,' Jorge Garza told the station. A CBS Denver helicopter flying over the town spotted a family of three and their dog being rescued from menacing waters via a motorized raft. '[Milliken] has turned into a lake with campers, fields and cars submerged,' the station further reported. 172 people are unaccounted for, Boulder County officials told KDVR. Sludge: Brian Montgomery wades through thick mud in the basement of his mother's home Deserted: Residents are being taken to evacuation centers amid reports of more storms Access: Heavy equipment is used to try to clear debris from a road covered in 20ft banks of mud Damage: An estimated $150 million of repair work will be needed to fix roads and bridges that have been washed away As rescuers broke through to flood-ravaged Colorado towns, they issued a stern warning Saturday to anyone thinking of staying behind: Leave now or be prepared to endure weeks without electricity, running water and basic supplies. Authorities made clear that residents who chose not to leave might not get another chance for a while. 'We're not trying to force anyone from their home. We're not trying to be forceful, but we're trying to be very factual and definitive about the consequences of their decision, and we hope that they will come down,' Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said. Cut off: A farm house has been turned into an island as flood water rises near Greenley, Colorado By land: The Army National Guard has brought in heavy equipment meant to assist in the rescue of trapped residents Or by sea: Officials are also using motorboats to help save trapped people Shocked: Residents are shell-shocked, many have lost everything, as a result of the historic floods Waterlogged: Cattle brave the fierce waters on higher ground as everything around them is swept away Special education teacher Brian Shultz, 38, was torn about leaving his Jamestown home. 'I was thinking about staying. I could have lasted at least a year. I have a lot of training in wilderness survival,' he said, adding that he probably had enough beer to last the whole time. Another one to two inches of rain is expected to fall between Saturday night and Sunday, which will only add to the problems. National Guard choppers have been evacuating the Jamestown, of about 295 people - plus pets - after the mountain hamlet became isolated by flooding. Mike Smith, incident commander at Boulder Municipal Airport, said helicopters would continue flying in and out late into the night. The outlook for anyone who'd rather stay is weeks without power, cell phone service, water or sewer. For those awaiting an airlift, Guardsmen dropped food, water and other supplies in Jamestown and other small towns in the winding, narrow canyons that dot the Rocky Mountain foothills. Swamped: A railway track in Longmont is lost under floodwater Ruined: Trailer homes have been washed away in the water The surge: Flash-flooding continues in the Boulder-area of Colorado after three days of record-breaking rainfall Overflowing: The heavy rains have impacted a large stretch of Colorado from Fort Collins near the northern border with Wyoming, all the way to Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs more than 100 miles south Geysers of sewage: A Sewer in Manitou Springs is overwhelmed by rainfall yesterday, gurgling the overflow of water Thousands of evacuees sought shelter in cities that were nearly surrounded by raging rivers spilling over their banks. The dayslong rush of water from higher ground has killed four people and turned towns on Colorado's expansive eastern plains into muddy swamps. Crews used inflatable boats to rescue families and pets from stranded farmhouses. Some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safe ground. Boulder County officials said Friday night that the number of people unaccounted for had risen to 172, according to local television and newspaper reports. 'I expect that we're going to continue to receive reports of confirmed missing and confirmed fatalities throughout the next several days,' Larimer County sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said. Record-breaking: Over 12 inches of rain has fallen since September 1, which shatters the previous record set in the 1940s of 5.5 inches View from above: Satellite imaging shows the storm system that swept over the eastern Colorado area on September 11, starting flash-floods that have killed three so far Flee: The floods have displaced thousands of human residents, but also the wildlife in Colorado. Above, a deer jumps over a sidewalk in a flood-damaged area of Boulder The officials said earlier that the unaccounted for figure doesn't necessarily represent missing people. Near Greeley, some 35 miles east of the foothills, broad swaths of farmland had become lakes, and hundreds of roads were closed or damaged by floodwaters. A 70-mile stretch of Interstate 25 was closed from Denver to the Wyoming line. Rocky Mountain National Park closed Friday, its visitors forced to leave via the 60-mile Trail Ridge Road to the west side of the Rockies. It will be weeks, if not months, before a semblance of normalcy returns to Lyons, a gateway community to the park. The town, surrounded by sandstone cliffs whose color was reflected in the raging St. Vrain River, consisted of six islands Friday as residents barbecued their food before it spoiled. Several people set up a tent camp on a hill. Some 2,500 residents were being evacuated from Lyons. Two bridges that led into the area were washed away. Aerial views of flood damage as death toll rises in Colorado 'Wall of water': Around midnight, officials said they were monitoring a wall of water headed toward the area of Emerson Gulch Churning: Boulder Creek is overflowing and threatening the city of Boulder, which it runs right through Swept away: The 30-foot wall of water was caused when a drainage gulch burst and swept up debris and vehicles in it's path Won't stop: Rain continued to fall in Colorado today, only adding to the already dangerous flash-flooding Stream: Water spills over a hillside home at the base of Boulder Canyon today Emergency situation: The National Guard has been dispatched to help rescue people stranded in their homes 'There's so much water coming out of the canyon, it has to go somewhere, and unfortunately it's coming into the city,' said Ashlee Herring, spokeswoman for the Boulder office of Emergency Management. Boulder Creek, which runs through the heart of the city, became a raging torrent that burst its banks and flooded adjacent parking lots and streets as warning sirens wailed. Officials in Boulder announced just before midnight Thursday that they were tracking a large 'wall of water, containing debris and vehicles' headed towards Emerson Gulch from the Fourmile burn area. The Denver Post reported that the 30-foot wall of water was caused by a drainage gulch that burst and released a large amount of water which swept up debris and vehicles in it's path. Other towns nestled along the Front Range of the Rockies north of Denver were also hard hit. In Longmont about 14 miles northeast of Boulder, the St Vrain River jumped its banks, cascading across main thoroughfares and making travel across the city impossible overnight. Exploring: Umbrella-toting residents take pictures of the damage the flooding had on a street in Boulder on Friday Home invasion: A couple returns to find their home Friday to find it water-damaged from the previous days floods Survivor: So far, officials have announced three deaths related to the flooding. Above, a man is rescued by emergency workers after he spent the night trapped on high ground above his home Battling the storm: A man in Boulder attempts to make a mud barrier to protect his house from the flooding Boots are no use: Homeowner Hannah Hinseth returns to her home to survey the damage caused by the severe flooding Street sweepers: Residents shovel debris to form a protective dike in a neighborhood of Boulder 'Our city is completely divided,' by the floodwaters, assistant city manager Shawn Lewis told Reuters. Lewis said 7,000 households were under mandatory evacuation orders. The city opened two emergency shelters for displaced residents. President Barack Obama approved a federal disaster assistance request, which will release funds to help with emergency protection, Governor John Hickenlooper's office said late on Thursday. National Guard troops were dispatched with emergency supplies to the remote town of Lyons, north of Boulder, which was virtually cut off from surrounding areas when floodwaters washed out U.S. Route 36, county officials said. Cut-off: Towns like Magnolia, above, have been completely shut off after the raging waters washed out roads Waiting for rescue: All road access to the town of Lyons, Colorado was cut-off and National Guard troops have been dispatched to bring residents emergency supplies. Above a wiped out road near the base of Boulder Canyon Baby's first flood: A young family take a walk on Friday to survey the damage in their Boulder neighborhood A river runs through it: Lefthand Creek runs down a neighborhood street in Longmont, Colorado Friday Clean-up: Today, a farmer is seen clearing debris from railroad tracks in Longmont, Colorado Back at last: Evelyn Mortiz carries her luggage barefoot back home after spending the night with friends during the mandatory evacuation in her area A dozen major roads in northeastern Colorado remained shut with significant damage from flooding, mudslides, rockfalls and other debris, the Colorado Department of Transportation said late on Thursday. Heavy summer rains are not unusual for Colorado, but the intensity and duration of the downpour that began on Monday night was unprecedented. The National Weather Service said at least 12.3 inches of rain have fallen on Boulder since September 1, smashing a 73-year-old record of 5.5 inches for the month. Cleaning house: Lucas Calderon-Griek uses a broom to sweep out the water from his home in Upland Aid: Colorado National Guardsmen help relocate a family trapped at their heavily-flooded home Record-breaking: The former record for rainfall during the month of September was 5.5 inches. That's been shattered already with the National Weather Service saying that 12.3 inches have fallen Wreckage: A man cleans up Canon Avenue after a flash flood burst a manhole and sent water rushing down the streets of Manitou Pop-up pool: A couple play in the flooded Utah Park in Aurora, Colorado yesterday Back to work: Men at Namaste Solar are pictured clearing debris off of their work site today in Boulder One body was found in a collapsed building near Jamestown, an evacuated enclave north of Boulder. A couple were swept away in floodwaters after stopping their car northwest of the city. The man's body was recovered but the woman was missing and feared dead, said Commander Heidi Prentup of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The body of a third confirmed fatality, a 54-year-old man, was found by police on flood-watch patrols in a Colorado Springs creek, about 100 miles to the south, officials said. On Friday, a woman who had been swept away was found dead near Boulder, raising the death toll to four. Nearly 150 people were killed near Boulder in 1976 by a flash flood along the Big Thompson Canyon. Out of control: The heavy rainfalls have turned Boulder Creek into a raging river with enough power to wash out roads Ominous: Clouds cover the Denver skyline early this morning. It continues to rain in the area Up in the air: A Rocky Mountain Rescue Team prepares to depart in a National Guard piloted helicopter Swamped: A National Guard vehicle drives through a flooded area in Boulder County Thursday as rain continued to pour Pup saved! This family's poodle couldn't be left behind Distractions: Carolyn Hornung, distracted by her phone, casually stands in flowing water outside her house in Boulder, Colorado Friday