Number of Colorado flood victims unaccounted for continues to fall

The number of Colorado residents unaccounted for and those who need to be rescued from flood-damaged communities continued to fall Tuesday, according to state officials.

More than 3,000 people have been rescued in Boulder and Larimer counties, the areas hit hardest by Colorado’s flooding, officials said.

As of Tuesday, 1,041 had been rescued in Larimer, the sheriff’s office announced. About 600 people were still waiting to rescued. The numbers were likely to change by day’s end.

PHOTOS: Colorado flooding

In Boulder County, officials reported that just four people had been rescued by air by Tuesday afternoon and no one needed to be evacuated by vehicle. A spokeswoman for the Boulder Office of Emergency Management estimated that about 2,000 people had been taken to safety in recent days.

There was no official count available of how many people were awaiting to be rescued in Boulder County, she said.

According to statewide figures Tuesday morning, the number of Coloradans unaccounted for or missing stood at 581, continuing the downward trend as residents contacted officials or were rescued. At its peak, the number was about 1,200.

Eight people are dead or presumed dead in flood-related events, state officials said. The number of people still in shelters has fallen to 484.

It is expected to take at least several more days before rain-swollen rivers will crest, officials said.

More than 6,400 people in flood-stricken areas have applied for federal assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced. More than $430,000 in assistance payments for temporary housing, repairs and other programs has already been approved, the agency said.

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