Historic flooding devastated parts of northeastern Colorado this past week, and it may take years before many areas return to normal.
The sun returned to Colorado on Monday after what seemed an eternity. Normally, those of us living here in northern Colorado see about 300+ days of sunshine per year, with most of us praying for precipitation of any kind during the spring through fall months. But this year was anything but normal, culminating with flooding this past week at historic levels in some areas of the state.
The flooding devastated much of the populous eastern portion of the state of Colorado, inundating an area the size of the state of Connecticut. Exacerbated by mountainsides stripped by historic wildfires last year, rainwater funneled down through the canyons in raging torrents, eventually spilling out onto the plains. Early damage estimates released by Colorado emergency management officials list 19,000 homes damaged or destroyed by flooding in the 17 counties affected.
One of the hardest hit areas is Larimer County, where I reside. The rains began pouring down early last week, and by late Tuesday into Wednesday most people were shaking their heads at the amounts coming down. I remember walking out of class on Tuesday evening in Fort Collins (Larimer County) thinking I’d not seen such heavy rain since 1997, the year of the Spring Creek Flood. That flood devastated much of the downtown area of Fort Collins, killing five people. But the city rebuilt, mitigating for another event should it ever occur. Unfortunately, those mitigation efforts were put to the test this past week.
According to the Larimer County Emergency Information Website, approximately 1,120 square miles have been damaged in the county, including extensive/severe damage in the Big Thompson Canyon, North Fork of Big Thompson, and South St. Vrain areas. Rist, Buckhorn, and Poudre Canyons also received anywhere from slight to heavy damage as well. Fort Collins and Loveland also sustained heavy-to-severe damage in many areas, with Fort Collins being split in half north to south by floodwaters from the Poudre River and Loveland’s Big Thompson Canyon scoured by the Big Thompson River.
Larimer County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hillman said, “Some areas of Larimer County experienced a hundred-year flood, some a thousand-year flood. When you’re talking about rivers cresting 10 feet or more over their banks, no one can prepare for that. Blizzards and wildfires—those are things we prepare for. A flood is a whole different beast.”
As of Tuesday, September 17th, there are now eight people confirmed dead statewide with 648 still unaccounted for in the flood area, which encompasses about 200 miles up and down the Front Range. Approximately 11,570 people have been evacuated.
In Larimer County, emergency personnel say two people are confirmed dead and another is missing and presumed killed. There are still 197 people unaccounted for as of early Tuesday morning, with another 1,000+ residents awaiting evacuation out of remote areas. These numbers will continue to change as more areas are accessed, which could take a month or more in some of the more remote areas in the mountains.
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said it’s a “monumental task ahead. We will tackle it item by item.”
The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office reports early estimates at 1,502 homes and 200 businesses completely destroyed and another 4,500 homes and 500 businesses damaged. In addition, three dams failed and there are numerous road closures in effect in Larimer County. Highways 34 and 36 are “closed indefinitely.” The town of Estes Park, home to Rocky Mountain National Park and the famous Stanley Hotel, is only allowing “essential traffic” into the area, where more than a foot of mud remains in the downtown area. The towns of Drake, Glen Haven, Cedar Park, Lyons and Jamestown remain cut-off and isolated, with no road access at this time. Residents in those areas who refuse evacuation are being warned that it could be weeks to months of extreme hardship if they decide to remain behind.
The National Guard has been assisting with traffic control as well as maintaining roadblocks where necessary all across the region, where many roads and bridges remain impassable, being either damaged or destroyed.
Rescue efforts have been historic and heroic. According to a spokesperson for the Colorado National Guard, ongoing operations “are believed to be the largest airlift rescue since Hurricane Katrina.”
Helicopters remain the best option for reaching many of those still stranded in mountainous areas where there is no power, food or water. There are 21 helicopters being used in rescue operations. In Larimer County, there are 13 National Guard (including Chinooks) and three civilian choppers in use.
Amid dramatic rescues, tales of individual courage and undaunted spirit are beginning to pour forth. In Glen Haven, a group of 40 residents hiked approximately five miles through treacherous terrain and poor weather conditions to reach an area where they could be rescued. And their story is only one of many.
With President Obama declaring Colorado a disaster area, residents can now apply for federal assistance. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate traveled to Colorado on Monday to meet with state officials about ongoing and future recovery efforts. Approximately 400 FEMA personnel are still in Colorado to assist with response efforts.
The FEMA website says “More than 130,000 liters of water, 110,000 meals and other supplies have been delivered to Incident Support Bases established by FEMA” thus far. In addition, there are “two interagency incident management teams, including response personnel and assets from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Interior, and state and local wild land fire agencies and Bureau of Land Management” also helping coordinate emergency response operations in both Boulder and Larimer Counties.
With Larimer and several other counties still under flood warnings until Friday and so many people still awaiting rescue, it almost seems like a surreal scene around here—the sun shining brightly while the sound of lawnmowers off in the distance contrast with the drone of rescue helicopters overhead. Life does go on, but life as we knew it has changed forever. Yet amid all the destruction, there’s already a sense of hope and renewed determination—determination to rebuild better than ever, determination to find the silver lining in those clouds that only recently brought such devastation.
As Governor John Hickenlooper said Monday, “Our bridges are broken, our roads are broken, (but) our spirits are not broken.” To all my friends and neighbors here in Larimer County and to all those affected elsewhere in this great state, let us remember those words as we forge forward in the coming days, weeks and months, remembering also all that we still do have—our hopes, our dreams, and one another.
If you’d like to help or make a donation, please go to http://www.helpcoloradonow.net/.
Link to article in print on network website: http://www.gcnlive.com/wp/2013/09/18/historic-colorado-flooding-a-personal-perspective/
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