COLORADO FLOODS

I have called this site the “Ralston Creek Review” because Ralston Creek is just down the hill from our house, and my wife Cathy and our dog Darcy and I walk along there nearly every day.  Usually at this time of year the creek is four or five feet wide and less than a foot deep.  This year is different.  Colorado has been hit by massive rains from a monsoonal flow on steroids.

Over the first 8+ months of 2013, the Front Range had received barely 11 inches of precipitation.  In the present series of storms, many places got more than 14 inches of rain in 3 days.  At our house, we probably got half that.

Anyway, I would like to share a couple of photos showing how little Ralston Creek has been affected by this rain:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is only minor flooding, of course; and it is attenuated by the fact that most of the runoff was held back by a dam at a reservoir about five miles upstream.

 

 

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe situation could certainly be much worse – and for many throughout the Eastern half of Colorado, it is much worse.  At least four people have died in the flooding.  Thousands are stranded or homeless.  Billions of dollars of damage has been done.  Roads and other infrastructure have been completely destroyed in places.  Here are some pictures that have been shown repeatedly in local media over the past few days:

2013 flood

2013 flood #2

 

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3 thoughts on “COLORADO FLOODS

  1. Pingback: YEAR OF THE SNAKE – A LOOK BACK | ralstoncreekreview.com

  2. Glad you are high and dry and, God willin’, the dam won’t break. We’re thinking of all there and keeping tabs on our Colorado “family”, which includes you and Cathy.

    Lenore and I met at a place up Left Hand Canyon near Jamestown and my own ancestral home is in NE Colorado, where flash floods down the arroyos and creeks have taken folks unaware – and sometimes lives in the bargain. The creek on the family farm probably looks more like a river right now. I saw it that way once many years ago and still remember that.

    We had quite a flood here two years ago and it changed the course of the Sandy River, took out 300 yards of paved roadway on Lolo Pass, and changed river frontage for miles downstream. Pretty impressive, to say the least. Neighbors came together in a big way and folks cut off by the washout were served by neighbors with 4WD vehicles for rescue, transport, groceries, water, etc. Goodness comes from everywhere when trouble strikes and it’s so affirming and encouraging to see that happen.

    Thanks for the update!

    • I remember a big flood in Jamestown back in – what, 1968? – when my friend Annette had a house up there. This year’s flood looks much worse. Jamestown was completely cut off in all directions and they had to evacuate hundreds of people by helicopter.

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