HUGO, Colo. — A small town on Colorado's Eastern Plains has made an enormous impact for drivers who found themselves stranded in Friday's snowstorm.
On Friday afternoon, 10 travelers found not just a place to rest, but a welcoming place to find hot food, water and camaraderie at the Hugo United Methodist Church, located at 126 5th St. in Hugo.
After a few days of snow, totals in eastern Elbert County and Lincoln County will likely exceed 3 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Blowing and drifting snow is expected overnight into Saturday morning. Hugo, as well as Limon nearby, both fall under a multi-county winter storm warning. The warning expires at 5 a.m. Saturday.
"Luckily, we have the support of the local community, so they've been helping and bringing supplies down and food for everybody," said Hugo United Methodist Church Pastor Piete Lopo.
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A few of the travelers are new arrivals, while others have been there since Wednesday evening, he said.
“We're expecting to probably get a few more tonight," he added. "We're limited on beds, but we got blankets and places for people to lay down and rest. Everybody has been working together to make room for everybody."
Denver7 spoke with some of the new arrivals over Zoom on Friday afternoon.
Ashley Vargas was headed to Texas to visit her sister when she got stuck in the snow — three times. Each time took hours to escape. Pastor Pete "helped us a lot" in a stressful and scary situation, she said.
"He's given us a place to stay, food, shelter, a place to stay warm," she said, adding that she hopes she can hit the road again in another day.
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Ashten Nicolas was traveling with family — all from Illinois — to Colorado Springs for his niece's birthday. Then the snow trapped their car about five or six miles from the church.
"A policeman actually helped us get unstuck, and he recommended this place for us," he said.
Nicolas said his sister tried to drive a truck to pick them up and continue toward Colorado Springs, but she ran into the same situation and got stuck in the snow.
"That kind of gives you an idea how rough it is," Nicolas said. "Considering the situation, I think we're all really lucky right now."
Over the last four to five days, Abelardo Castro said he feels like he has been through hell. On Friday morning, as he tried to make his way to San Antonio, Texas, he was driving 10 mph and his truck flipped, he said. Luckily, he was not hurt.
"I still can't believe that happened to me, honestly," he said.
The whole group said while they are thankful for the hospitality shown in Hugo, they are worried about how — and when — they will be able to continue on their way or go back home.
Greg Tacha, town manager of Limon, which is about 15 miles away from Hugo, spoke with Denver7 over Zoom from his office. He said he, along with Limon's police department, street department and ambulance crews, are the only town employees working.
"We have (otherwise) shut down just because it's not safe for individuals to be out on the roads," he said.
When he woke up on Friday morning, about 20 to 22 inches of snow was on the ground. By the end of the day, he said he expects another 10 to 15 inches.
“Back on Tuesday or Wednesday, I knew we were going to get some snow, but as the storms went on, I've realized that this is a lot bigger than we were expecting," Tacha said.
While he said he is not worried about the locals who are hunkering down, he does have concerns about stranded travelers who are unfamiliar with the area.
“It's better to stay with your vehicle or stay in a parking lot instead of trying to drive across town and get stuck someplace else," he advised. “... We've been getting a lot of calls from travelers that are stuck. We have a senior center open for stranded motorists. The Methodist church has been opened. So that's where stranded motorists can go. Sounds like our motels, for the most part, are pretty much full. Our water department drove a couple people to a motel and their car is stuck someplace else in town, just to get them safely to a location.”
People who have tried to drive down residential streets are ending up trapped in the snow, and are "making it more of a havoc for our crews trying to plow," Tacha said. All roads into and out of Limon are currently closed to the public. The National Guard is working in the area to help.
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With several more inches of snow expected Friday, Tacha said he remains confident in the town's ability to overcome each challenge.
"That's what you do in rural Colorado," he said. "You find a way to make things work, and you take care of it."
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