A sinkhole near Rampart High School.
/ FOX21: Mike Duran
SOUTHERN COLORADO -- Colorado saw its first substantial rainfall in weeks Monday, and while it's not enough to bring much of the front range and eastern plains out of the summer-long drought, it is a welcome relief for many who have been battling the hot, dry and windy conditions.
Firefighters have been battling on wildfire after another, including the two most destructive in Colorado state history, this summer. Sunday and Monday's steady stream of rain came too late for 346 homeowners and their families who lost houses in the Waldo Canyon Fire, but the moisture is expected to assist the firefighters in fully containing the fire.
Meanwhile, vegetation and crops on the eastern plains are soaking up the much-needed water but will need more to make it into the fall.
The rain has also brought a significant cooldown in the temperatures. Pueblo and Colorado Springs, which have both been in triple digits at many points over the past three weeks, saw highs of 76 and 71 degrees respectively Monday.
However, the rain hasn't brought all good news for the state. On the heels of several wildfires, downpours have caused mudslides in places where now-burned forest areas have made erosion easy, forcing transportation officials to shut down major highways across the state.
In addition to the mudslides, flash flood warnings have also been issued in several places throughout Colorado. Homeowners who have houses at the bottom of the Front Range foothills are now being encouraged to purchase flood insurance, especially in places where trees and vegetation burned in late June.
There have also been reports of water damage, such as the sinkhole near Rampart High School in northern Colorado Springs (photo above).
Click here for a list of places to watch out for in El Paso County.
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