And now CO floods...

[cbutteris]

Well, it was just 10 weeks or so since we all enjoyed riding the mountains and canyons of Colorado. Fire was the big danger then but tonight Boulder is getting some serious flooding.

Many of the roads we traveled back in June are now closed or washed out! Boulder is largely shut down tonight, and Lyons apparently is pretty well cut off.

-Cal

[cbutteris]

Just talked with my son Eric in Boulder. Another 8" of rain is expected tonight - inch per hour roughly.

[Loafer]

Best of luck to all that are being affected by the storms in Colorado. _/\_

[hayes]

If you are on facebook, check this out.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=567454363313790

Luckily, where I live isn't too bad, but where I used to live was flooded . Thank God I moved.

[cactusjack]

We only get about 7" of rain per year here. On Monday the same storm that is hitting the front range dropped 2" in Tempe, which is a mammoth amount for here. I can't even fathom 8" of rain overnight, that's crazy.

[HwyRider]

They need to borrow a couple of duck boats from Boston just for the rescue work. That's an incredible amount of water. NH just go whacked with 5" the night before last.

[Cajunrider]

We've had 77" of rain here since the 1st of the year. No hills other than highway overpasses that the water can run off of. In the hills and mountains, a quick 1" rain can result in a disaster. I sure hope they find some of the 200+ that are unaccounted for.

[blowndodge]

I've had Estes Park weather posted on my home page since before the National just to see the weather before the ride. I haven't seen a day that didn't show rain into the forecast in the last month! Where is this rain coming from because most of the west is dry as a bone with no "fronts" with moisture in them seem to be the cause of this?

[waterman]

This whole storm has been phenominal in how it has moved or lack there of and dumped these amounts. From reports I've been hearing, most of the houses in the Thompson Canyon are gone that were anywhere close to the river. Highway 34 and 36 are severely damaged and will take major repairs. In parts there is no highway.

I have a cousin in Estes Park and nobody can get in touch with them. Cell phone service is out up there. Most of the unaccounted for are probably in a similar situation as them.

Flooding down the south platte is getting closer to the area I live in. The are evacuating several small towns that are 40 miles away. I don't live in the valley so I am safe. If my house goes under water there are plenty of people in trouble .

[usranger74]

This whole storm has been phenominal in how it has moved or lack there of and dumped these amounts. From reports I've been hearing, most of the houses in the Thompson Canyon are gone that were anywhere close to the river. Highway 34 and 36 are severely damaged and will take major repairs. In parts there is no highway.

I have a cousin in Estes Park and nobody can get in touch with them. Cell phone service is out up there. Most of the unaccounted for are probably in a similar situation as them.

Flooding down the south platte is getting closer to the area I live in. The are evacuating several small towns that are 40 miles away. I don't live in the valley so I am safe. If my house goes under water there are plenty of people in trouble .

Good to know you are ok Joel. I hope the rest of our membes in CO can say the same thing.

[rickyboy]

Glad to hear you're alright Joel ! That was my main purpose of going online tonight. I don't know anyone else that lives around there.

[waterman]

The flooding is hitting Fort Morgan and will hit Sterling later today. The are 35 miles away and they are now talking about closing I-76 yet. It is amazing about the number of bridges that are out. In fact, a bridge east of Greeley on highway 34 is gone. It didn't look like the one over the South Platte. It will be some time before I can do any riding up in the area. I will have to find some pictures and post them later.

[Dave]

http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp80/Dave9945/Colorado_zps677e5252.jpg (http://s399.photobucket.com/user/Dave9945/media/Colorado_zps677e5252.jpg.html)

[waterman]

For anyone who has ridden the Big Thompson Canyon, here is a slide show of what is left in the canyon up to Estes Park.

http://kdvr.com/2013/09/15/slideshow-hwy-34-destroyed-through-big-thompson-canyon/

The have said that 17 miles will have to completely be rebuilt. That is half of the road.

[waterman]

Picture at the mouth of the canyon next to where the Dam Store used to be.

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1238167_10153239043825191_746349373_n.jpg

[cactusjack]

That's incredible, Joel. I made a couple of trips up and down both canyons from Estes Park to Loveland/Longmont when we were there in June.

[waterman]

The sight of this is just amazing and disappointing as well. We have been working on making sure information is available after these flood waters recede. To give you an idea of how much water is passing by, at it's peak at Fort Morgan, 50,100 cubic feet of water per sec was flowing down river and that is probably on the low side. To give you an idea of what that is, it's more than 1 acre-foot of water every second. Take an area 210 feet by 210 feet, one foot over water would fill that area every second so in 1 minute it would be 60 feet tall.

[usranger74]

The sight of this is just amazing and disappointing as well. We have been working on making sure information is available after these flood waters recede. To give you an idea of how much water is passing by, at it's peak at Fort Morgan, 50,100 cubic feet of water per sec was flowing down river and that is probably on the low side. To give you an idea of what that is, it's more than 1 acre-foot of water every second. Take an area 210 feet by 210 feet, one foot over water would fill that area every second so in 1 minute it would be 60 feet tall.

Joel - how will that impact NE?

[waterman]

Joel - how will that impact NE?

I'm sure there will be some flooding along the south platte into Nebraska. Kind of hard to tell since the flow at Roscoe is 0. Don't really know how much water will soak into the channel as they are very dry.

[trosco]

Hey folks, I was in Lafayette (Boulder suburb) when this was going on. It was like when Hugo (hurricane) hit eastern NC in 2003 when I lived there. 20 inches of rain in 24 hours that year and 41 inches in the 3 day period. Water was 4 ft deep in the center of Wilson NC and there wasn't a river or stream with in 10 miles. Big difference in Boulder was every drop of rain was pushed together in canyons and passes and it just came through the towns and road and bridges like big walls of destruction.
I left Sunday during a 4 hour break in the rain and headed back to NC. Got home this AM. My friend's home is ok but her son is not so lucky. He lives across the street from the elementary school they keep showing on the news with 3 feet of water in it. They are safe which is the important thing. Many can not say that yet so keep them in your prayers

[Sin City Stan]

Joel, I was just thinking last Saturday after a ride that it was the best ride I had since Thompson Canyon. Hopefully all this will be over soon and people can get the lives back to normal.

[hayes]

http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp80/Dave9945/Colorado_zps677e5252.jpg (http://s399.photobucket.com/user/Dave9945/media/Colorado_zps677e5252.jpg.html)

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/1240581_10151864451263276_489543328_n.jpg

[cbutteris]

Incredible destruction over such a big area. Saw another set of photos this morning from Left Hand Canyon, we rode through a couple times in June. Roads there will be a while coming back as well.

Sounds like Estes Park is in pretty bad shape - remember that small stream that ran right through the downtown area?

I wonder if most roads will be fixed even a year from now.

[Cajunrider]

Incredible! Still over 200 unaccounted for. Pray that they are safe.

[Jared]

It's been a pretty crazy week here for sure.

http://youtu.be/8DROpPDNDpY

[Cajunrider]

It's been a pretty crazy week here for sure.

http://youtu.be/8DROpPDNDpY

Looks like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Only differences are there were no rapids, the water was just sitting there for days and there are no savages shooting at the rescuers.