Colorado Thread
As some may be aware, Colorado is in a pretty serious situation right now. Massive portions of the state have been cut off from areas due to flash floods that the National Weather Service began referring to as “rain and floods of biblical proportions”. This is unique to Colorado. I have lived here most of my life, and I have never seen anything like this. Aurora saw an annual rainfall average hit in 12 hours flat. Longmont has been cut in half by two rivers. Boulder, the city where I work, is trashed. Jamestown and Lyons are cut off from the rest of the state, and efforts to get National Guard into those areas have been almost fruitless. Rescue helicopters are incapable of flying due to the weather. Colorado Springs is bracing for epic issues of mud slides and flash floods right now. The images and video flooding into news agencies are shocking.
The picture I posted is of a friend’s neighborhood in Boulder. The tree you see was uprooted and moved a ways.
This is happening, and it is getting worse.
Some part of I-70 & Quebec is closed due to the ground washing out underneath the road. The heavy rains have started again in the south of Denver. Calling for another 5 inches if I heard correctly.
Estes Park is cut off, too.
Reuben, do you know that the TV says Longmont is on evacuation notice?
DIA (airport) has delayed flights due to flooding.
I heard that. The swelling in Left Hand and St Vrain is beyond any stage in recorded history.
I just got a flurry of pictures from Boulder friends, the scene is mud chaos.
Left Hand is 15 feet above normal. Is that a 100 year flood as some are saying?
They are evacuating Commerce City, now.
The rural roads out our way are flooding and people who have farmland are cut off from the city. It is insane. Colorado just can’t deal with flooding. Blizzards and 10ft snow storms yes, huge amounts of water at one time NO.
Wow, been watching some stuff on TWC. Nasty!
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/12/20450541-flash-floods-wash-away-homes-kill-at-least-3-near-boulder-colorado?lite
“The National Weather Service warned of a “life-threatening situation” in an emergency message issued just after midnight local time for several areas around Boulder. About 6.8 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period over the city, according to the National Weather Service, with the rain expected to continue through Sunday.”
“It’s insane right now, I’ve lived in Colorado my whole life and this is nothing that I’ve ever seen before,” said Andra Coberly spokesperson for a YMCA in Boulder that had been turned into an evacuation center. “Streets were turned into rivers and streams were turned into lakes.”
True, Becky!
There was a foot and a half of hail that clogged up drains in Westminster just the other day. No problem. This flooding = big problem!
I just spoke with my priest. He lives in Longmont, he can’t go anywhere as everything is closed off. He is on higher ground, has a little basement flooding, but was just told that the city water is probably going to be shut off. He cant get anywhere to get bottled water.
No drinkable water is the killjoy. Otherwise one could hang out and just pretend they are camping. Does he have a boat?
Derek, what’s TWC?
The Weather Channel
Oh, duh!
Thanks.
LOL, I think it’s south of Denver, just saw a pic of a lady swimming to her car. Water is up to the bottom of the windows.
That was on TWC. Thanks, Derek.
Post some more pics, Reuben. The uprooted tree is great!
Big Thompson River just “broke.” But I don’t actually know what they mean by “broke.”
Wow … scary stuff … praying for everyones safety …
I thought Estes was totally cut off, but they just said they can use the Trail Ridge Road. For those not familiar, that road goes over 11,500 feet.
Jamestown only has radio to communicate.
Allenstown can only talk to each other on their local phones. No way to reach the outside.
When the Big Thompson broke some years ago, it was a Huge mess!!
Houses lost etc…
Hope that’s not the situation this time
London, it’s worse. By far! I get Big Thompson mixed up with the other canyon flood. One was in the 70s and one was in the 80’s. Each were limited to their canyon. This flood is covering all the towns in the mountains from Estes on down the mountain. It includes the cities at the base of the Foothills stretching all the way down to New Mexico and all the way east to at least Aurora, the edge of metro Denver. Cities in metro Denver are being evacuated, like Commerce City.
It’s now officially a 100 year flood, NBC says.
Ha! They are now kayaking in Aurora City suburbs!
2 to 3 feet deep water (rapids) down the street Peoria through southern Denver. Unbelievable!
Reports are not good from friends. A coworkers house in Longmont is flooded on the first floor.
We just ran to the store and bought up a couple crates of bottled water.
All roads to and from our area are washed oit completely, or closed.
Coal Creek Canyon is washed out in a couple places. We used to live there.
This is mind blowing.
Weather lady on 9 news warns that torrential rainfall is expected all night in Boulder.
Well, this sucks. Hope you guys stay safe.
Reuben…having lived through the flood here (Steve’s folks home was gutted, 5 1/2 foot water level in the first floor) , we understand how miserable and terrifying this can be. Praying for you all, and all those impacted by this.
Sarah, do you mind saying where you live?
Ricky, my area is safe, even if we did just get a flood warning.
I am here in Colorado Springs on business and Reuben does not exaggerate what is going on. As soon as a very heavy storm lets up, another sweeps right back in.
Ruben: We will be praying. It is hard to imagine such devisitation.
Praying. Reuben, you’ve mentioned other folks, but how are you and your family?
Randall Slack sighting!!! Hey Brother, good to see you!
CK, we are on high ground here. A lot goes running past us, nothing stays. It has not stopped raining for over 24 hours now.
There are friends in the immediate area, flatter zones, their roads are washed out, and basements flooded.
Evacs called in Commerce City due to a dam break…
http://www.9news.com/news/article/354911/339/Dam-failure-prompts-more-evacs
Reverse 911 calls are going out in town warning the south plat is about to crest. Thats maybe 10 blocks from here.
Praying for you guys in Col.
Reuben…continuing to pray.
Chile…Sorry, just got home, we are in the Nashville area. We had the flood here 3 years ago.
Oh, I remember that flood, Sarah. That took out the Grand Ole Opry!
Well, the totals for rain fall are 11.88 inches on the far east side of Metro Denver in Aurora. That’s the amount of rain they normally get in an entire year. The road closures and evacs are numerous! Streets people can kayak down in rapids that are 2 and 3 feet deep.
For the Boulder area they have 11.66 inches of rain. For those who remember the devastating Big Thompson Canyon flood, the TWC is saying the flooding today is like 5 of the Big T’s all at once.
As I type there are TV warnings telling people in Boulder to move to higher ground immediately that it is life threatening. The current warning is that a 30 foot deep water and mud wall (that contains cars in the mix) is heading down the Boulder Creek about to hit Boulder in 15 minutes, at midnight MST. They are telling people to run, because they can’t drive.
I’m South of Metro Denver near the foothills, and it’s very wet, though I’m on high ground without fear of any flooding; yet, people all around me are experiencing water coming in through weakened roofs, seeping from the ground into the first floors and garages. We’ve sandbagged our garage and are not having any problem.
Reuben, you guys still okay?
Rick Kincaid @27, are you near Fort Carson? They have also received 11+ inches of rain. The northern Springs areas do not appear to have as much.
Boulder County Sheriff scanner:
http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/247
TWC says the 30 foot wall has flattened out significantly. Thank God! It’s still water/mud/debris and still coming into Boulder, but NOT 30 feet high. 12:50am MST
We are still dry!
I-25 in Loveland (at 34) is now covered in water.
The wall of water in Boulder was 7 feet.
Part of Hwy 6 now closed.
More evacuations this morning.
Just realized its the Big Thompson River that has breached I-25 in Longmont.
Glad to hear Reuben and our other Colorado friends are OK, but my heart breaks for those who have lost so much. Praying for all.
Good to know, Reuben!
Spoke to a co-worker this morning. His new home is destroyed. His work van is under water. He can’t get back to what is left yet. The story of the damage is only beginning to unfold here.
The aerial views of the floods on the flatland is incredible. The number of county roads that have washed out have left so many towns isolated. The worst are those cut off in the mountains because of the danger of falling boulders, mudslides, no communication, no electricity, drinkable water issues, etc…
295 people just evacuated from Jamestown. A group of 6th grade kids were camped at Mount Evans for Outdoor Education week were stranded. The roads were impassable so they had the kids hike out to another road in order to get home. Estes Park was totally covered in water, not just the main street. The Big Thompson river reached the same height it did in the 70’s flood in some areas, and not in others.
My kid is driving to Oregon soon and trying to map out a direction with open roads is interesting, to say the least.
Chile: I am in north Colorado Springs.
Just drove to church and back, about a 1.5 hr round trip. Seeing the devastation along the way is very discouraging.
This mess is far from over. The return trip was about 30 miles of raging downpour. I am sure roads were closed behind us, as water levels had risen to within a foot of the highway in a few spots again.
As the floods move east, new disasters are happening as I write this.
Lord, have mercy…please.
Here’s a little perspective: East of Denver is a suburb/town called Aurora. They had 11.88 inches of rain one day & 6 inches the next day. That would have been an 18 foot snow had it been cold, like it can be in September. Just let that sink in … 18 foot snow!
Rick, I didn’t realize that area got hit.
Thousands still need to be evacuated, even without any rain today. A total of 21.13 inches of rain fell in Boulder. That’s 2 years worth of rain or a 21 foot snowstorm. Incredible math!
Okay, the sun is out and the rains have abated. I now have far more empathy for all those people in past floods I’ve seen reported in the news, but not seen up close.
I’ve heard several numbers and don’t know what is accurate, but one TV reporter said 1,900 homes were affected, with 1500 of them destroyed, along with many cars. Most people did not have flood insurance since they lived far from the flood plains. I heard one couple say that long-term planning was 4 hours in advance. They will get 18 months of FEMA housing, some food handouts, and some missionary barrel clothing. I think that’s it. With all their losses, simply getting to work or trying to find a new job where they are relocated could be difficult, to say the least.
May God stir the church (local & universal) to lend a hand and a heart.
CK: I’m around, just going through a quiet season. Blessings to you all.