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<br />Roo;kyMOUfIl<l!nN~ <br /> <br />Thurs..July31,199i <br /> <br />Colorado & The We:st <br /> <br />r! <br /> <br />1'onlI Twkhe" State Editor - 892.5223 .. .-mail - state@denver.nnn.com <br /> <br />~Ioodwaters force evacuations <br /> <br />"'........ <br />RGdr,M-"",, NnnSlal/WriilT <br />The residents of Sterlinll and <br />Atwood could see disaster (lowing <br />their "'ilY. <br />As much as 1S inches 01 nin <br />dropped on the p.wnee National <br />Grassland northwest 0( the two <br />towns overnight Thesday. <br />Then the water poured down <br />PaWII~ Creek - nonnally a dry <br />ditch "no wider than your bath- <br />tub." as one local desaibed.it- <br />and grew into a scven-mile s~eet <br />of water that steadily rolled across <br />the tlaUands and reached the <br />towns by Wednesday. <br />The slow-moving flood gave au- <br />thoritiQ time to warn residents. <br />pluck .40 people from their roofs in <br />Alwood and eYaCWlte all the pa- <br />tients from theSterling hospital. <br />"People were just patiently <br />waiting until someone could get <br />them off their rooftops." said Na. <br />tional Guard Maj. Gen. William <br />Weslerdabl. . <br />Bul if the d~btion lOok its <br />time., it hit with a vengeance when <br />itwved. . <br />Atwood was empty by 9 a.m.. <br />,..hen the noodwalers completely <br />r --dthelowno€70people. <br />e houses were under 8 feet <br /><L <br />cameinwitha~lotol <br />.:.... said Roma Muon. At- <br />wood's poslmistress.. as she stood <br />at the edge of town watching .... <br />ter pour through her post office. <br />Raging 8codwaters dosed half a <br />dozen state highways in a 6O-mi1e <br />swath rrnm Sterling west to G0od- <br />rich. shut bridges, damaged roads <br />and covered fields. <br />The Co1or.Ido Anny National <br />Guard ftew its helicopten to the: <br />plains after Go... Roy Romer <br />ordered them to assist in rescue <br />efforts Cor the worst Oooding in <br />theueain30 yean. . . <br />Helicopter pilots rqK'rted more <br />thoin 100 houses ..nd 30 ..ehides . <br />underwater in Atwood alone, be- <br />tore the ftood spread to Sterling. <br />The hospital evacuation began <br />about 7:30 p.m. as water lapped at <br />the curb. clouds darkened and <br />winds gusted up to20 mph. <br />Three belicopten transported <br />the most seriously in to northern <br />Colorado Medical Center in Gree- <br />I.. <br />They closed the hospital for (ear <br />rising water could bite out the <br />c1ectricit~ James Bowey. director <br />o( Support Semce! (or the Ster- <br />ling Regional Medical Cente( said. <br />"We really don.t know how high <br />the ",..ter will geL So we.re not <br />taking chmces:' he said. <br />:'1 hear it's raining like a ban- <br />. ' F'lI'efighters,.from. left. Rod..McClaren,-Steye'.Vtef'OW. and MaN. <br />-' See.STtRUHGon 1M 6tanley..stayttlgetherinSter1ing. .'.' ..... ,.._ .-,':-...... I',.. ',' <br /> <br />Residents flee Atwood; . <br />patients airlifted from <br />hospital in Sterling <br /> <br /> <br />1,1 <br />, <br /> <br />,.... <br />~ <br /> <br />:~:(:~'Mb~GANCOUNTY". -- i....'n <br />~:,;.::,--~",::"~'. . '\,~A <br />~,,'"". 'rIb; <br />'-.': soll'"\I.Y"A <br />,", - ----- -"'" . <br />~~-;:. <br />1'1,,,; ....~'! ' ': ," -. ~h <br /> <br />WASHINGTON. <br />COUNTY <br />'~f1~:::~~ <br />,P,."-'J..1 <br />C'O'lO.RADO <br /> <br />...,.....""r.;.~............_ <br />