Search results

View of an unidentified flooded road.

Arthur Trevino describes the damage to his rental home in Longmont, caused by the Boulder County Flood of 2013. Art's experience was complicated by several factors: he had moved to Boulder only four months before the flood; during the most severe flooding, he was negotiating flooded roads between Westminster and Longmont while his wife with Alzheimer's disease was at home being taken care of by his adult son; and his landlord was out of town for more than a month after the flood. Art describes the work that he and his son did to reclaim the house from damage. He talks about his calm and resilient attitude in the face of challenges; the plentiful help provided by rescue workers, volunteers, government workers, and neighbors; and the general feelilng of heightened community that was a silver lining of the disaster.

One vertical file that contains information clipped from newspapers, magazines, and other publications on: the September 2013 flood - 2015 articles to present. Full newspaper editions located in gray box on file cabinet.

Kay Cook and Doug Burger relate their experiences during the 2013 Boulder flood. Kay and Doug were living in the small mountain community of Salina, Colorado, at the time. They describe the way their experience of the flood unfolded as cars, houses and all their possessions washed away. They describe the way they had to evacuate multiple times to move to safer ground, including a challenging rescue by zip line across the raging creek waters. They discuss the losses they faced, the beauty and power of the flood, and the power of community support, which they felt throughout from both strangers and friends.

Tara Schoedinger, mayor of Jamestown, describes the flooding of the town during the September 2013 floods and the community's efforts at recovery. This interview was recorded less than a month after the catastrophic flooding, which destroyed many houses and roads and took the life of one of the town's residents, Joseph Howlett, when his house collapsed due to a mudslide. Mayor Schoedinger details calling in emergency services; establishment of incident command posts; the evacuation of residents to higher ground and then out of the area by military helicopters; assistance provided by county, state and federal entities, as well as cleanup help provided by Southern Baptist volunteers. She stresses the close-knit nature of the Jamestown community and talks about the ways in which people pulled together.

Cathy Rivers moved to Lyons in April, 1998. She is an artist and owns her business called Rivers Colorworks and Design. She is a community-minded person that has contributed her talents to Lyons. After being displaced during the flood of September, 2013 she resettled back into Lyons because it is a place where she belongs. She describes her experience of losing her home and belongings but always finding blessings in so many ways from family, friends, acquaintances and organizations. And she herself has helped the community that needed her and the friends that have helped her.

David Kimmett describes his experience commuting to and from work by bicycle in Longmont, Colorado, on September 12, 2013, in the midst of the widespread flooding that happened that week. He details the state of creeks, rivers, roads and bridges, both in the morning and evening of that day, as well as the day after. His descriptions include dramatic pictures painted of the extent of the flooding, including minor waterways that turned into large raging rivers, bridges that ordinarily had been 15 feet above the water being wiped out by floods, and the amusing sight of people fishing with nets in the middle of the street as the storm sewers backed up with river water and spewed out water and fish into the air.

Brian Rasmussen tells of his experiences during the Boulder County flood of 2013, when he lived in Fourmile Canyon. He describes the road and land conditions in the area of Fourmile Canyon and Wallstreet during and after the flooding. He talks about communication and transportation difficulties. He describes evacuation efforts involving Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters and his own evacuation with the help of National Guard vehicles. He touches on the road repair efforts that followed.

One vertical file that contains information clipped from newspapers, magazines, and other publications on: different floods in Boulder County, excluding the flood of 1894. Included are the history of St. Vrain flash floods beginning in 1864, the 25-year flood in 1969, the Big Thompson flood in 1976 as well as floods in 1913, 1921, 1933, and 1938. See the vertical file Floods (1894) for the 100-year flood. There is also a "Flood Hazard Chronology, 1871-1984" which is an appendix from an unknown publication.

One vertical file that contains information clipped from newspapers, magazines, and other publications on the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 flood in Boulder County.

Bob Ritzen, the chaplain for Frasier Meadows Retirement Community, describes the severe flooding experienced by Frasier Meadows during the Boulder County Flood of 2013 and the collaborative efforts of staff and residents to evacuate, care for, and resettle the many people whose living quarters were flooded, including residents in assisted living and memory care units. The flooding and evacuation happened at night after the failure of the community's electric service and involved many residents with significant health care needs. The narrator stresses the heroic job done by staff and other residents alike, as well as the compassionate and generous response of the community at large..

Sharon Cole, who lost one home to the Fourmile Fire in 2010, and then experienced major damage to another house in Fourmile Canyon in which she lived at the time of the Flood of 2013, gives an eyewitness account of the flood's effect on houses, roads, bridges, and creek beds during those September days in 2013. She tells of moving within the canyon for safety, of eventual evacuations and returning to survey damages and rebuild, and of the large role played by friends and even neighbors who previously did not know each other but were drawn together as a community by disaster.