Colorado Heavy Rains and Flooding

[Artemis Windsong]

usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/15/20503891-heavy-rains-hamper-attempts-to-rescue-at-least-1000-stranded-coloradans?lite

The wide spread flood in Colorado is of biblical proportions with over 14 inches of rain in one weeks time and it's still raining.  The losses of vehicles, homes, roadways is staggering.

I created the thread because no one noticed my other posts.  This trumps the board walk fire in size and loss. 

[Opti]

Artemis, I feel for all those in Colorado facing these losses. Its so over-whelming that I have avoided the news on it because there is little that I can do except pray. I haven't been to that part of Colorado to my knowledge but I have been to Seaside Heights here in NJ. And living in NJ, I did want to comment on that thread.

I do hope the end of the rain comes soon and all the survivors keep and find their strength. It is a very trying time and I wish the highest and best for all involved.

[busymom]

Very sad to hear of all the flooding in Colorado.  I had a relative who used to live in Longmont.


A major area was wiped out by flooding some years back, & yet homes were rebuilt on some of the washed-out areas, & areas even lower than previously flooded. 



Still, it's very sad for the victims, and their families.  

[Jaguar]

It's absolutely awful there. All the best to everyone living in Colorado, my thoughts are with you all.

[Deleted]

I know DQ lives in CO. Has anyone heard from her? Does anyone know if she's anywhere near the flooding?

[Artemis Windsong]

The rain and flood just won't stop.  I understand Opti and am glad you are praying as a lot of us are.  I believe the H.F. is washing out a sore.  Just like he washed out the sore in NJ then cauterized it.  My state had it's sore washed out in 2011 with the Missouri River flooding. 

On accuweather there was a sidebar of Boulder photos.  Most were before the deluge but one shows the 500 year flood plain.  I think this one surpassed what is shown.


usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/16/20519100-biggest-aerial-response-since-katrina-helicopters-to-search-for-1200-missing-in-colo

I don't know where DQ is.  Maybe one of the Mods know.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I live in Iowa.  Angel lives in Denver, I believe. Rae's in Coloardo too, I think she's near Boulder.  Rae's been posting over on WIR but I haven't seen Angel.


My parents were supposed to go to Boulder in a couple of weeks but that's been canceled.  The motel owner plans on refunding everyone.

[moon/Laura]

I'm in boulder as I type this and we're not underwater here, either. my back yard was yesterday for a while though, and our annual trip to estes park for elk fest is going to be canceled. But such is life.

[Jaguar]

Everyone please just stay safe.

[Peace Of Mind]

  I hope all of our Colorado posters and their friends and families are safe.  I just read about 1200 people are not accounted for or are stranded.   Floods are so powerful, gross and damaging and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.  

Moon and Rocky were the first people I remembered that live there.  Glad she checked in and I believe I saw Rocky posting on another thread but can't remember if that was today or not.   

 Drama  Angel and Rae lives in CO too?  <<check!>>  Who else?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Drama lives in CO too

Iowa.  You know that midwestern state where we don't have modern medical care, culture or any hint of modern civilization.  We're also all potato farmers.

[moon/Laura]

Iggy.. but she's not here anymore.

I'm sure there are plenty more I don't know about.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Sept 16, 2013 16:02:12 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Drama lives in CO too

Iowa.  You know that midwestern state where we don't have modern medical care, culture or any hint of modern civilization.  We're also all potato farmers.

Psst - and you don't have mountains. 

[bean29]

Most of us are just hoping people are cut off from communication and will be located soon.  The 1200 missing number is huge esp. compare to the last major flood.
There is very little we can do. 

[mmhmm]

Iggy was here about 30 minutes ago, so we know, at least, she hasn't been swept away.

[Opti]

The 1200 missing number is huge esp. compare to the last major flood.

I just saw that number mentioned with helicopter searches and referencing Katrina.
I think more praying is in order, at least from me.

[Jaguar]

Oh please not 1200 missing, this is just so awful.

[Angel!]

I am ok.  The worst that has happened to me is we have found that our office building roof leaks badly.  That and the park behind DD's school is now a massive lake.  Today is supposed to be the last day of rain for awhile, so hopefully things start to get better from here. 

I feel for everyone in the Lyons area.  That has been horrible.  It makes you realize how vunerable we all really are.

[Jaguar]

Angel, I'm glad your okay. I'm also glad that those in CO are signing in and letting us know they are okay.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

Sept 16, 2013 16:54:58 GMT -5 Jaguar said:

Oh please not 1200 missing, this is just so awful.

Just to clarify, that number being bandied about on the news is not necessarily 'missing' people.  It's people who are not accounted for yet.  That may just be persons who live in CO whose relatives haven't made contact with them yet.  The OEM tried to be clear that the vast majority of those are not people who are considered 'missing' for a concrete reason (i.e. I saw Betty in her home minutes before it washed away).

[Angel!]

Sept 16, 2013 17:51:34 GMT -5 Rocky Mtn Saver said:

Sept 16, 2013 16:54:58 GMT -5 Jaguar said:

Oh please not 1200 missing, this is just so awful.

Just to clarify, that number being bandied about on the news is not necessarily 'missing' people.  It's people who are not accounted for yet.  That may just be persons who live in CO whose relatives haven't made contact with them yet.  The OEM tried to be clear that the vast majority of those are not people who are considered 'missing' for a concrete reason (i.e. I saw Betty in her home minutes before it washed away).

Good point.  Maybe it shouldn't have been amusing, but during the Manitou floods last month they keep repeating the listing of missing people on the news and I found it sort of funny:

- Steve who lives on X street (I'm guessing neighbors didn't know his full name and weren't sure he made it out)
- Jeremy Stevens (or some such full name)
- A blond woman, who was last seen clinging to a tree in the waters while wearing a black shirt with tan pants

All three were later found and safe.  It was just that someone couldn't contact them and was worried, or in the case of the woman - reported her needing help and then they couldn't find her. So hopefully most of the missing are fine and just haven't contacted loved ones or authorities yet.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

There's still a lot of breakdown in communication and a lot of communities and households who are cut off from civilization, which may be adding to that high number 'unaccounted for'.  A guy with the helicopter effort pulling people from the Big Thompson canyon today mentioned that a lot of the residents there "haven't been hit hard", they were just cut off.  People in Lyons, which was completley cut off from the outside world, had no cell or land lines.  They started hiking the mountain once the weather cleared to get a signal and call their relatives. 

[mmhmm]

I sure hope we find that has been the case, Rocky.  Thanks for the info!  I'd much rather think people are unable to get communications through than the alternative.

[Jaguar]

Yeah thanks for that clarification.

[Value Buy]

cell phone service and landline phone service can be spotty in the sparsely populated mountain areas on a good day out there, so people out of contact is not necessarily a bad omen.
It is not like in the rest of the country....go around a bend in the mountain, and you can lose service.
Or at least it was that way a few years ago.

[Angel!]

It is still like that.  A lot of these roads run through canyons and you just can't get service. 

I just read that the Big Thompson had more water running than it did in the flood of 1976.  That could be really bad, especially if a lot of the people missing lived along there.  There have done lots of improvements since, but the flood of 1976 killed 140 people.  I thought most of the missing were from Lyons, but it sounds like most are actually from Larimer County.  This could be very bad

[Icelandic Woman]

I heard on the news this morning that the number of people unaccounted for has dropped down to just over 600 so that is good news. My area was spared and I am very thankful for that.

[Jaguar]

Sept 17, 2013 14:04:24 GMT -5 Icelandic Woman said:

I heard on the news this morning that the number of people unaccounted for has dropped down to just over 600 so that is good news. My area was spared and I am very thankful for that.

Icey hon thanks for letting me know that and I'm really glad your okay.

[Icelandic Woman]

An update if anyone is interested. This morning the death toll was reduced from 8 to 6 and the unaccounted for number went down to 306. Good news.

[Jaguar]

That is really much better, but I hope that number goes way lower too. Thanks Icey.