# Colorado Floods--Who's affected? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840 "2013-09-14T12:27:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/1 "2013-09-14T12:27:50Z")
I’ve been watching these horrendous floods on television, seeing people rescued in the middle of the night and wanted to know if any Colorado dopers are personally affected. What’s the situation like where you are? I hope everything turns out as well as possible. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/2 "2013-09-14T12:48:25Z")
I’m near Fountain Creek, but not in any danger. Same with last year’s fires, close but safe. ---
**Author:** ![NeverKnownNormal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@NeverKnownNormal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeverKnownNormal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/3 "2013-09-14T14:23:58Z")
I’m not there, but nephew, his wife, and their three kids were last known to be in a pop-up camper in the Fort Collins area. Really wish they would answer their cell phones, or update their facebook status, or _something_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/4 "2013-09-14T15:22:29Z")
We’re in Longmont. The town is pretty much cut in half by the St. Vrain river. We’re ok since we live about a mile north of the river. My wife was asked to leave her work Thursday and the building was still closed Friday. I went over a bridge yesterday over the St. Vrain. It was a little scary. There was a LOT of water flowing under it. We live 10 miles from Lyons and they are pretty hard hit. So we are very close but not affected. We like to ride our motorcycle in the mountains near us, I’m pretty sure that’s over. One of the places we like to ride to is Estes Park and they were inundated. When they are accessible again, I plan to see how I can volunteer in either Lyons or Estes. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/5 "2013-09-14T17:55:19Z")
We’re on the other side of the Continental Divide from the flooding, but we couldn’t do any long distance calling from work yesterday; Century Link lost a hub or something. Small potatoes to what is happening to those folks over the hill from us. ☹ Keep safe everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/6 "2013-09-14T18:04:59Z")
We’re safe, but friends of ours had to be evac’d out of Coal Creek Canyon two nights ago. Their house is still standing but there was a river running through the bottom floor. Other friends are trapped in their neighborhoods due to flooded or washed out roads, and some have no water or power. A friend’s farm is under water up to the top of her fences, and all of the outbuildings are gone. More rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/7 "2013-09-14T19:31:37Z")
I’m a couple miles down from Manitou Springs, and a short walk from Fountain Creek. The road closings to Manitou Springs are just up the street. No immediate danger though. More rain is on the way I guess. Sky is darkening at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Heller\_Highwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@Heller\_Highwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heller_Highwater)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/8 "2013-09-14T23:53:34Z")
I’m in Fort Collins; everything’s fine here (in fact, the sun is shining as of this posting), but we’re supposed to get more rain tomorrow. I also don’t know if I’ll be able to get to work on Monday, as I have to commute down much closer to Denver. They closed I-25 (the main North/South highway along the front range) near the end of the week, and I don’t know if it’ll be re-closed after the rain moves back in tomorrow. That said, I’m glad to be high and dry for the moment, and I hope everyone else is okay. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/9 "2013-09-15T02:29:15Z")
I’m in Boulder but on high ground and far from the creek. My sump pump bravely pumped every three minutes for two days straight and I didn’t have any water troubles at all. One of the dead graduated from my daughter’s High School last year. He and his girlfriend got washed away after their car got stuck. The water level is way down from the last two days and I was able to get around a little. The amount of debris near Boulder Creek is amazing. Huge tree trunks all over the place. There are still a couple hundred people still unaccounted for, but most probably are without power and a way to communicate with family. The major fallout from this is going to be infrastructure. Large sections of several major roads are completely washed out, as are hundreds of smaller roads and bridges. All the water is making it’s way to the South Platte River, the primary drainage for Northern Colorado, and it is now creating havoc downriver where they didn’t even get any rain. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/10 "2013-09-15T03:08:01Z")
It just started raining again and my street turned instantly into a river. There is just nowhere for the water to go. The ground can’t absorb a drop of it. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/11 "2013-09-15T07:01:41Z")
FWIW, I’m somewhat affected. Grew up in Bould ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/12 "2013-09-15T07:13:56Z")
er. I think a house I lived in is gone, and I’m sure one place I worked at for years is never gonna reopen. Even when I was 9 years old, I thought building the library across the creek was a bad idea. Is the dark horse open? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/13 "2013-09-15T13:17:25Z")
Sunrise, it’s partly cloudy in Colorado Springs. Fountain Creek is less full than it has been. The ground is soggy and saturated, there was rain overnight. If the sun comes out, it could mean bad thunderstorms this afternoon- the water evaporates off the ground but the air is too thin to hold it so it rains out violently. If that happens there will be more erosion and washouts in the same affected areas but not much new destruction. Even without more rain, there’s going to be a lot of seepage and movement, this isn’t really over yet. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/14 "2013-09-15T15:44:54Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > FWIW, I’m somewhat affected. Grew up in Bould > [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > er. I think a house I lived in is gone, and I’m sure one place I worked at for years is never gonna reopen. > > Even when I was 9 years old, I thought building the library across the creek was a bad idea. > > Is the dark horse open? You had me scared for a second there. 🙂 I was hoping to see **Enipla** in this thread - I know he lives up high in the clouds. Stay safe, everyone! We went through a century flood in Calgary this summer, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/15 "2013-09-15T17:39:45Z")
IIRC Enipla lives farther west. The flooding is mostly in the Front Range area on the eastern side of the mountains. And it is raining here. The storm cell is very slow moving. Yes, this isn’t over yet. ---
**Author:** ![NeverKnownNormal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@NeverKnownNormal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeverKnownNormal)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/16 "2013-09-15T18:08:01Z")
I’m mildly relieved, nephew got out a brief text that they are on high ground, and fine. Hoping others will likewise be able to get in contact soon. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/17 "2013-09-15T18:37:28Z")
**Enipla** is in Summit County, above 12,000 ft, IIRC, and **Alpine** is in Telluride, in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/18 "2013-09-15T20:18:18Z")
Two hours of steady rain in Co Springs, sometimes fierce. The ground is saturated and squishy, there’s no way for any of it to soak in. By now pretty much anybody affected has moved or been drowned I guess, but the road damage will continue. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/19 "2013-09-15T20:32:48Z")
Yup, rain, rain, rain here in Old Colorado City. The clouds over the mountains are really dark and full of moisture. ---
**Author:** ![Heller\_Highwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@Heller\_Highwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heller_Highwater)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840/20 "2013-09-15T20:54:24Z")
The rain has started again up here in Fort Collins. We’ve been fortunate so far, all things considered; we’ll see how it turns out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-floods-whos-affected/668840.md?page=2)