Laserfiche WebLink
<br />1[111 <br />~ ,I <br /> <br />, <br />, <br />, <br />, <br /> <br />, <br />, <br />, <br />4-20. Dama~e to existin~ rlood control works. About 700 reet or bank <br />protectXon works along the Purgatoire River at Trinidad were destroyed by <br />the May :1955 rlood. These works consisted or wood piling, concrete walls, <br />and gro~ted rock riprap, and were installed by the city or Trinidad and the <br />railroaq. In addition, a low earthen dike about 500 feet long, which served <br />to guide minor flood flows through U. S. Highway 85-87 bridge, was practically <br />all was~ed away. ' <br />, <br />4-21. Several miles of agricultural levees exist along the Arkansas <br />River bStween Pueblo and La Junta. These were breached in several loca- <br />tions. ~A levee which protected North La Junta against smaller rloods <br />was dem~lished. <br /> <br />4-22. Indirect dama~es. Indirect damages listed in the accompanying <br />tables ~nclude losses due to the interruption of business and commerce; <br />loss or;wages, expense or moving rrom the flooded area, loss of rent, cost <br />of rerouting trafric; and the reduction in income rromprocessing, trans- <br />portingJ and marketing crops. Indirect losses to the Santa Fe Pailway <br />were ex~eptionally large because trarric, which normally passes through <br />Trinidad and Raton Pass, had to be rerouted through Amarillo, Texas. <br />I <br />4-23. Lives lost. Two people lost their lives as a result of the <br />rloods. : On the Arkansas River, a woman rell into a bankful irrigation <br />ditch a~d died arter being rescued. The other lire was lost at Trinidad <br />when a toung man, who attempted to cross the Linden Avenue bridge over <br />the Pur~atoire' River, drove his car orr at the south end where the <br />approach was washed out. <br />, <br />, <br />4_~4. Flood ri~hting and relief Several Federal agencies assisted <br />in flooq fighting and relier. The Corps of Engineers had nine men rrom <br />John Ma~tin Dam and rour men rrom the Albuquerque District orrice in the, <br />rlood a~ea making observations and watching for trouble spots. Since the <br />rlood the Albuquerque District has replaced the l~ which was destroyed <br />at North La Junta and is replacing bank protective works which were com- <br />, <br />pletely,washed out in the vicinity of the City Hall at Trinidad, under <br />continuing authorities available to the Corps or Engineers. The Federal <br />Civil D~rense Administration made observations during and arter the flood <br />and has 'granted rinancial'assistance to cities and counties for repairs to <br />public ~orks. In addition, this agency is providing fUnds for emergency <br />I . <br />bank prqtective works to be constructed by the Corps or Eng~neers on <br />Purgat01re River at'Trinidad. The Pueblo orfice of the United States <br />Weather I Bureau issued flood warnings during the rlood. Trinidad received <br />I <br />troops, ,supplies, and equipment from Fort Carson, and water-hauling trucks <br />from the Pueblo Ordnance Depot. The Soil Conservation Service investigated <br />agricul~ural damages and is providing technical assistance to farmers on <br />repair qr damaged irrigation systems. The Small Business Administration <br />made lo,ns available to qualified persons. <br />I <br /> <br />,L <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />8 <br /> <br />... <br />