Coloradans have been praying for rain, but this past week’s weather is not what they were asking for, as last year’s “summer of fires” has suddenly turned into this year’s “summer of floods.”
In the past five days, parts of the state have received a year’s worth of rain. The deluge was supposed to take a break Saturday night, but the entire Front Range is under a flash flood warning—from the Wyoming border south 130 miles to Colorado Springs—until 6 p.m. Sunday, as more storms blow across the state.
On Friday, several of Colorado’s major waterways were above flood stage: the Cache Le Poudre River in Fort Collins, Big Thompson River in Loveland, St. Vrain River in Longmont, South Platte River in Greeley and Denver, Bear Creek in Morrison, and Boulder Creek in Boulder. The city of Boulder, just west of Denver, received 8 inches of rain within hours, turning the Boulder Creek into raging rapids, destroying much of the college town. In addition, feeder creeks and streams in the foothills above metro Denver rose several feet, washing away roads and cutting off access to some mountain villages.
Jamestown’s 300 residents pulled together when the Little Jim Creek swelled, turning their small community into an island. Residents built zip lines from one side of the swollen creek to the other so that food and medical supplies could be delivered to those stranded, according to The Denver Post. For two days, friends and family waited for news on loved ones as the village lost power, water, and phone service. The Colorado National Guard evacuated the residents by helicopter on Friday. One resident didn’t survive, said Andrew Barth, spokesman for the Boulder Office of Emergency Management.
