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1995 36' Classic 36
Ludington
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,662
8 inches of rain in the past 24 hours and still raining. Most of the streams are over their banks with a few roads washed out. We are on a hill so no issues but the AS is stored along South Boulder Creek. I ventured out this morning to check on it but couldn't very far. This video is where I had to turn back about a mile up stream.
Man, that looks REALLY bad. Just saw some more photos on Buzzfeed and an article in Slate, both also with video. Stay safe out there. Wishing you and your family all the best!
I still remember the storm that swept water down the canyon between Estes Park and Loveland. We went through there several years after and the scars were still there. I think some folks lost their lives and many others had to scramble up the canyon walls to escape the torrent that came though. To make maters worse it was dark when this all occurred. Flash floods are powerful anywhere but up in the mountains of Colorado, they are at a whole different level of magnitude. Glad to hear you are okay. I'll cross your fingers for your Airstream.
Jack
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Jack Canavera
STL Mo. AIR #56 S/OS#15
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500
We had our favorite spot on the Thompson River near Estes Park reserved for the week. Work forced me to cancel it and trade for days off later in the month. Wouldn't have been a good week of camping! Hope the Paradise RV Park survived.
It appears the flood impacted areas as far south as Evergreen and Morrison. My youngest son lives 10 miles north of Bailey. The creek which runs thru his place is running high, but nothing like the areas north of him.
I haven't seen flooding like this since the Big Thompson flood in the early '80's. before that it was the '65 flood.
No Chatfield dam back in those days.
Currently Looking...
1995 36' Classic 36
Ludington
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,662
Quote:
Originally Posted by TG Twinkie
It appears the flood impacted areas as far south as Evergreen and Morrison. My youngest son lives 10 miles north of Bailey. The creek which runs thru his place is running high, but nothing like the areas north of him.
I haven't seen flooding like this since the Big Thompson flood in the early '80's. before that it was the '65 flood.
No Chatfield dam back in those days.
A friend of mine says they got 13 inches down in Colorado Springs near Ft Carson.
I still remember the storm that swept water down the canyon between Estes Park and Loveland. We went through there several years after and the scars were still there.
Jack
That was the Big Thompson Flood. I lived at Carter Lake when the Big Thompson flood occurred and I could see the mouth of Big Thompson Canyon from my front porch. Not a drop of rain at my house, but the storm was the blackest I have ever watched. Well over 100 killed, including a trooper that lost his life trying to warn others. I didn't know about the flood until the next morning.
They raised the highway in parts of Big Thompson and that should have helped this time. The previous flood did not involve the St Vrain like this one did. Sounds like the town of Lyons took a real beating this time; Lyons pretty much escaped the former flood.
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John W. Irwin
2018 Interstate GT, "Sabre-Dog V"
WBCCI #9632
The Big Thompson flood was July 31, 1976. I had visited Colorado earlier in the summer and missed it. There are reports today's flooding on the River is higher than in 1976, but in '76 it came as a wall of water and very fast in the middle of the night. Today's flooding seems to have started in the middle of the night, but got worse this morning. Seems to be getting a little better, but rain in the forecast for days ahead.
I've been e-mailing friends on the Front Range and all, so far, are ok and haven't any property damage. Around 1980, Evergreen's Bear Creek was just about bank full—I was staying really near it and didn't sleep well that night. But this Creek was way overdue for a flood—they were much more frequent before '65. There are few bridges across the Creek and at least one is out downstream in Kittredge. One friend lives near Havana and Alameda on the Denver/Aurora border—cars were floating at that spot, but his sump pump saved his condo.
We've had lots of rain on the Western Slope, but no serious flooding. It is strange in the high desert to have rain everyday for a week and for rain all day on some of those days. It is cool for a few days, then we go crazy begging for the sun.
Gene
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Gene
The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
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1995 36' Classic 36
Ludington
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,662
I've lived here in Boulder since 1980. It's fairly common to see flash floods and the streams over their banks. Generally we get downpours from large cells and the flooding is quite localized. Spring runoffs can be more widespread and sometimes aggravated by thunderstorms. This is the first time I've seen widespread persistent rain like this. It never rained real hard but it just kept coming for 3 days. We started seeing some local flooding as the creeks rose to capacity on day 2. A bit of a reprieve when I ventured out to check the AS. That night the skies opened and things got serious. The rain just kept coming. We are on a hill and coming from a construction background in Michigan, I've designed in gutters and good drainage. Most of the residential damage I've seen was from bad drainage, landscaping, window and door wells, etc. Definitely not capable of handling 12+ inches in 24 hours. The other problem is the mountains. The amount of water coming out of the canyons from this storm was amazing. Not much could have been done to avoid the devastation.
It is no secret that Boulder has been living on borrowed time. I lived in the area from 1966 through 1981 and worked at IBM. Sometime around 1970, we borrowed a 4WD to get through the flooded streets to try to salvage the household goods of one of the managers. Boulder Creek was completely out of the banks and there was a foot or more water in the streets. It was in the papers at that time that a 50 or 100 year flood on Boulder Creek would wreak havoc with a lot of the new sprawling subdivisions. That rain event was trivial to the one going on now.
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John W. Irwin
2018 Interstate GT, "Sabre-Dog V"
WBCCI #9632
We live in Longmont just east of Lyons and it is quite bad. I called our storage place near Nelson Road and so far our AS is ok but they are near the evacuation area. He said that the water is covering Hover Road and 3' trees are washed across Hover. All of the roads into Longmont are closed except for emergency national guard vehicles who are evacuating The town of Lyons.
Our house is ok which is wonderful but I feel for all of the people in Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, and the mountain communities who have lost their homes or communities. This flood sounds unrivaled.
I suspect the town of Hygiene is also hit hard as it is right along the St. Vrain river.
Send us Colorodans your positive thoughts and prayers....
1971 21' Globetrotter
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Arvada
, Colorado
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 3,530
My Son and daughter in law where rescued by the Colorado National Guard yesterday morning. By the time they received the evacuation notice the water was over two feet deep on the only road out. A friend of mine picked them up from the evacuation center in Mead CO and was able to transfer them south where my niece picked them up in Broomfield and brought them to my house.
I was unable to assist because my mother had taken a fall Sunday morning up at the family cabin and had to be airlifted out due to head injuries. I was elk hunting south of Pagosa Springs and had to make a hasty retreat home. Mom had to have facial reconstruction surgery Sunday evening. She was released Wed. to a rehab facility and yesterday morning she escaped her bed and fell on her head and is now back in the hospital with the reconstruction all ripped loose but now has blood between her skull and brain. I,m having a hard time coping with all this.
If you weren't having a hard time with all this, there'd be something wrong with you. My experience is that when we are challenged by tough times, we find an inner strength that keeps us going, then when we get a chance, get some rest. I hope things get better for you and your family.
Raining again today in western Colorado and this new round of rain should get to the Front Range tomorrow. So far, not as heavy as the rain several days ago. Everyone we contacted is fine and unflooded, though some of their friends and relatives have been affected.
Gene
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Gene
The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
My Son and daughter in law where rescued by the Colorado National Guard yesterday morning. By the time they received the evacuation notice the water was over two feet deep on the only road out. A friend of mine picked them up from the evacuation center in Mead CO and was able to transfer them south where my niece picked them up in Broomfield and brought them to my house.
I was unable to assist because my mother had taken a fall Sunday morning up at the family cabin and had to be airlifted out due to head injuries. I was elk hunting south of Pagosa Springs and had to make a hasty retreat home. Mom had to have facial reconstruction surgery Sunday evening. She was released Wed. to a rehab facility and yesterday morning she escaped her bed and fell on her head and is now back in the hospital with the reconstruction all ripped loose but now has blood between her skull and brain. I,m having a hard time coping with all this.
How awful for you!
I hope you're not dealing with all of this by yourself. The hospital will have social workers and clerical available, if you need extra support. Don't hesitate to ask.
Take things a piece and a day at a time, and take care of yourself.
Maggie.
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🏡 🚐 Cherish and appreciate those you love. This moment could be your last.🌹🐚
Anyone who has attended a blue grass festival at Planet Blue Grass or camped at St Vrain State Park will find a few photos of interest. See if you can spot the Airstream trailer in photo number 9. I do not know who it belongs to.
Here are a whole bunch more. Towards the end of these, there are photos of highway 34 between Loveland and Estes Park including a couple RV parks.
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