It was about 30 years ago --July 31st 1976 to be exact.
Last night while in bed trying to sleep...the darkness of the room was considerably lighted with an ever-building amount of lightning. One continual show of light. Thunder in the distance...sporadic raindrops on the shutters sang a rhythmic chiming that would normally lull someone to slumber. I was enjoying it immensely since our area of Texas is under severe drought.
But, with the quickening of rain and the constant lightning I was reminded of one night, 30 years ago, when Colorado experienced it's worst natural disaster in history.
The Big Thompson Flood.
Now for those that don't know the area...Big Thompson is a river that meanders beautifully through the canyon of the same name, Thompson Canyon. There is a highway that twists along the river banks going up to one of the states most well-known National Parks. Rocky Mountain National Park. And at the top of the mountains, nestled in among the crags is a small tourist town. Estes Park. On any given day the trip through the canyon is gorgeous, and the little town is quaint, and quite pretty in it's historical value.
It was the height of tourist season, cabins along the roadway were filled with out of towners or some occupied by year-round residents. Most are built on the edge of the land where it meets the river's rushing waters.
While watching television with our family, tho there was an imminent storm brewing in our area some 40 miles from the canyon, it was to be a typical night of rainstorms. The clouds were darkening toward the canyon. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings flashing across the tv screen. It was the eve of Colorado Day (August 1st was when Colorado became a state) -- everyone was readied for celebration the following day.
We had a gate that we locked each and every night, and I went out in the dusky evening with little light in the sky remaining before complete nightfall. I glanced along the front range of the foothills and saw it!! A HUGE black cloud fixed over the area. With one continual stream of lightning. Granted it was a good distance from our home, but ominous none-the-less. I went in and got my husband, our whole family went out and watched the phenomenon of nature until it was too dark to watch the cloud build up. The lightning display was awesome and quite pretty. Little did we know of what we'd hear and see when we woke up the next day.
Below is a slide show of what people said, saw and felt. I do recall on the local news, one survivor described the canyon when he rushed for high ground as the water was coming towards him like a tidal wave rushing through the narrow canyon..."the wall of the water some 30' high!!" (in a normal given time, the water depth is 2'-6', depending on the area you're at, at the time). The slides are from the historical archives of a prominent newspaper of the area close to the Big Thompson Canyon.
Many people died, many many homes were washed off their foundations into the banks for the raging river, highway sections were wiped off the map, along with a small town of Drake (between Interstate 25 and Estes Park) nearly disappearing....the canyon was closed for months afterward for rebuilding. It was humbling and very sad to know that some lost everything they owned along with family.
30 years ago, on July 31st, Colorado experienced the worst natural disaster in history.
SLIDE SHOW (SCROLL DOWN THIS PAGE TO: "Click here to start presentation") Use the menu to view, and if you have speakers for your computer, turn up the volume.
Viamarie * Melli * *
3 Comments:
Thank you for sharing the slideshow. Over here, we only got the news minus the pictures.
Reminded me of a similar tragedy that hit a town in southern Philippines just a few months ago wherein thousands died. Many of them were children who were in school when the avalanche happened.
*GASP!* I have absolutely NO memory of this at all! I'm finding it incredible... but I'm realizing I was 18 years old and 2 days away from giving birth to Amanda. And now I'm realizing how wrapped up in my OWN life I was at that time. I'm betting I never tuned in to any news at all.
This was HORRIBLE! Ugh... I don't know if I should thank you or not... I did learn... a lot. But it makes me sad. (even all these years later)
O wow, scary! I'm glad you & your family were alright. :o)
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