FLOOD01315

• County: Larimer
• Community: Big Thompson Canyon
• Stream Name: Big Thompson
• Title: KCOLs Private Forecasters Predict Big Thompson Canyon Storm
• Date: 8/15/1976
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: KCOL Special Report
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

relief centers established; of volunteer efforts to comfort and attend
the various needs of victims: requests for drinking water, food and
clothing, etc. DeHaes and Roe returned to the studios after a very
brief reprieve as the immensity of the damage in the Canyon area
more fully materialized. Huett returned from Loveland after a sleep.
less night. General Manager Jack Miller, Sales Manager Don Grant,
secretary Kathy Garcia, Production Manager Mike Flewelling and
many of their wives, fiances and children pitched in to help answer
phones. carry messages and write stories.
By Sunday afternoon and evening the rains started again and local
residents were jumpy. The Poudre began to rise again along its lower
reaches as authorities attempted to draw down the water level in some
up-stream reservoirs in case extra space might be needed to soften the
blow of any heavy runoff in the high country. Phone calls began to
come in by the hundreds: "What roads are out?" (Highway 14 in
Poudre Canyon and many county roads were impassable north of the
city as well as many in the Loveland area to the southt: "Should I
evacuate?" "Where do I take the needed items for the flood victims?"
etc.
John Henz of GRID Weather Center issued a special statement at
7:47 P.M. indicating the threat for future severe
flooding in foothills and that plains rains would
end by midnight.
Over 30 special reports were aired on Sunday
and again all regularly scheduled newscasts
(many of which ran overtime) were devoted to
coverage of the flood and its aftennath. Although
the rain ended in Loveland late Sunday allowing
the rescue choppers to go back up the canyon, it
continued in Fort Collins and in the mountain
canyons west of the city. The Poudre Canyon
road suffered more mudslides, the residents of Rist
Canyon were cut off by more washouts. Boxelder
Creek overran its banks and chewed a hole through
a county road miles from the mountains out on
the plains. KCOL staffers who had already been
on the job for most of the weekend continued to
man the newsroom and strategic locations in
Loveland, the mouth of Poudre Canyon and Lower
Rist Canyon. The rains ended near 10 P.M. and
residents of Larimer County got a good night's sleep.
Monday dawned cloudy and foggy but skies cleared by late
moming. No rains fell on Monday and the break in the weather allowed
intensive rescue operations by helicopter and foot teams to proceed
efficiently. KCOL staff covered these events on.the-spot and continued
to broadcast survivors lists and public service bulletins.

Tuesday dawned with most everyone out of the Thompson Canyon
who wished to come out and the monumental task of cleaning up and
accounting for the victims and survivors ahead. Again news coverage
was totally devoted to the disaster with more special announcements
detailing supplies needed at disaster relief centers; announcements
of persons listed as missing-or known dead; of roads open and closed:
etc. Thirty-six special reports in addition to all newscasts were
devoted to these efforts. Disaster officials announced the first opening
of the Thompson Canyon scene to newsmen via helicopter flights for
Tuesday morning. KCOL assigned staffer Brett Brough-a native
of Estes Park, who had driven the canyon twice a day for two years
while going to school in Fort Collins and therefore literally knew the
canyon like the back of his hand. After leaving the studio early
Tuesday morning, Brough first filed reports from Loveland with rescue
officials, then made the chopper flight and returned to report on the
scope of the devastation. By this time, roads had been opened into
Estes Park so Brough was dispatched lafter getting off duty at about
2 A.M.) to drive to Estes and, using a lifetime of contacts, filed some
of the first reports about the effect the disaster was having on the
Estes Park tourist oriented economy.

Boiling thunderheads made their appearance again Tuesday
afternoon threatening the occurrence once again of flash floods in
the rain-soaked foothills. At 1:35 P.M. John Henz of GRID Weather
Center issued a special statement calling for a brief period of heavy
rain in Fort Collins and nearby foothills. Mountain winds were strong
enough to push the thunderstorms over the plains easing the threat
of a repeat of Saturday night's disaster. Flash flooding did occur in
Buckhorn Canyon and portions of south Fort Collins but dry desert
winds cleared the skies once and for all by 5 P.M. County Sheriff
deputies briefly ordered an evacuation of Buckhorn Canyon but the
clearing skies ended their warning.

Wednesday Brough made a trip down the pioneer road being
forged into Thompson Canyon and filed reports from Glen Haven,

one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding. He returned to the studios
about mid-afternoon after nearly 48 hours on duty.
Miscellaneous announcements from the disaster relief centers,
federal, county and state officials involved in the cleanup, plans for
rebuilding roads, flood plain studies and myriads of other stories
connected with the floods continued to take precedence in all KCOL
newscasts throughout the week. Literally hundreds of announcements
were made informing listeners of the establishment of relief funds and
contribution progress. Many county roads were impassable in the
Poudre Canyon area so the state highway department asked for
announcements advising motorists of which ones were closed while
repairs were completed. The Sheriff's office requested announcements
to help control the use of two-way radios in the Thompson Canyon
area where blasting was being done. The County Extension office
needed volunteers to clean up the fairgrounds in Loveland, etc., etc.
Announcements of this nature continued throughout the week and
into the weekend following the floods. But the greatest volume of
coverage occurred between 9 P.M. Saturday and midnight Monday.
During this period KCOL aired over 100 special reports on the
flood situation totalling nearly 8 hours of broadcast time outside
regular newscasts. Flood coverage within newscasts during this
period totalled another 8 hours. Many KCOL staffers turned in time
cards for the week beginning with midnight Sunday, August 1 st and
ending the following Saturday midnight reflecting from 60 to over 90
hours. Most of the overtime was spent Sunday through Wednesday
covering the flood and its aftermath.
Had not the Thompson Canyon flood turned out to be a disaster
of 500 year proportions. the flooding on the Poudre would have been
a big story in its own right. Bridges washed out, roads were closed
by washouts and numerous mudslides and rockslides, considerable
damage occurred to property with at least one house washed off its
foundation and others damaged. Fortunately early warning and a
quirk of weather prevented the Poudre from being the killer that the
Thompson was. KCOL covered not one or the other, but both. We
have been extremely gratified by the many expressions of thanks
from listeners who have taken time to commend our efforts. A local
pizzeria sent in a hot pizza Sunday afternoon for staffers who had
been on duty for hours without a break. A local liquor store pledged
a kegof beer to our next staff party. An unidentified listener walked
into the studio after the disaster with a huge plate of home baked
rolls. Numerous phone calls and letters echoed these sentiments.
We gratefully acknowledge these expressions as a tribute to our staff,
its experience, judgement and dedication.

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Flood Pbox.. Courtny (If Fort Collins ColCIraooan