FLOOD05639

• County: Larimer
• Community: Estes Park, Loveland
• Stream Name: Big Thompson
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: What People Did During the Big Thompson Flood
• Date: 8/1/1977
• Prepared For: UDFCD
• Prepared By: Eve Gruntfest
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

19

TABLE 3,
SUMMARY OF RESULTS FROM THE ANALYSIS
(Tables Detailing the Outcome of the Tests are Found in Appendix F)

FROM CONTINGENCY TABLES

Survival
1. Those who took some action were more like'ly to live than those
who took no action.
2. Those who took no action were more likely to die in the flood.
3. Those who climbed had the best chance to survive.
4. Those who were alone were the highest at risk population.
5. Those who were with others, in groups of three to five people,
were more 1 i ke ly to 1 i ve than those a lone or in other si zed groups.
6. Those who were in family contexts were more 1 ikely to live than
those who were alone.
7. Those who were wi th friends were the most 1 i ke ly to lj ve.
8. Those who were in areas above Waltonia ~Iere more likely to live
than those in other areas in the canyon.

Action
1. Those who drove out were most likely to have received a warning.
2. Those who climbed or took another action were more likely not
to have received a warning than those who did nothing or drove.
3. Those who were with friends were most likely to climb.
4. Those who were with family groups were more 1 i ke ly to take no
action than to climb.
5. Those who were alone were most likely to do nothing.
6. Those in groups of three to five were more likely to do something
than to do nothing.
7. Those who drove were more likely to warn others than those who climbed.

FROM DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

1.

Location in the canyon and what action the group took were most
influential in statistically separating the survivors from the
non-survi vors.
Familiarity with the Big Thompson Canyon was least influential
in statistically separating three of the, analyzed populations:
the survivors/non-survivors, the warned/non-warned, and the
action/no action population.
The number of people in a group was most significal~t in
characterizing the groups by whether or not an action was taken.
The location of the group in the canyon and their origin were
most signifi cant in separating the warned from the non-warned
population.
In statistically distinguishing the local groups, the full-time
and part-time residents from the tourist, those who visited the
Big Thompson Canyon or other Rocky t10untain canyons infrequently,
the number of people in the group, the origin of the group, and
if the group survived were most significant.

2.

3.
4.

5.