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<br />Cross through our locaL rcprc-
<br />sentatives, P.L. Thompson and R.
<br />C.Holt, forfO{)dand clothinr;.
<br />Friday eveni.ng supplies were
<br />sent out by airplane w Elbert
<br />
<br />and Kiowa. Saturday::>orn1nga
<br />large crew of CCC boys were sent
<br />Out to beginworkantheflaad
<br />stricken areas
<br />
<br />a"d from the same issue under "Elizabeth News".
<br />
<br />ELIZABETH
<br />
<br />Another major flood, which affected nearly all of castern CoLorado,
<br />occurredJuncI6-17, 1965. Severe flooding was reeordedall around the Elizo-
<br />bcth area, but aga1n the Town of Elizabeth did not experience a major flow in
<br />Running Creek. Descriptions of this event are excerpted below.
<br />
<br />Our community received very
<br />little moisture on June 16th,
<br />nndnostormdollUlge far which
<br />we are grateful, na the commu-
<br />nities at Elbert and Kiowa to
<br />the cast of here and the Frank-
<br />town, Castle Rock and Parker
<br />arens west of us, all were in
<br />
<br />the disaster area, with much
<br />storm and flood damage being
<br />done by the creeks to meadow
<br />land and homes. Much property
<br />damage was done. and several
<br />Livcs lost, in the terrific
<br />storm.
<br />
<br />From the "ELBERT COUNTY NEWS"
<br />ThursJay, June 24, 1965
<br />
<br />FLOODS WED., THUR.,
<br />JUNE 16-17, 1965
<br />
<br />A number of long time residents were intcrview~d to obtain more specific
<br />facts concerning past floods on Running Creek. TIle person. interviewed were
<br />asfollow8:
<br />
<br />Wednesday, June t6, 1965, from
<br />about 2 p.m., when a tornado hit
<br />Palmer Lake, letting loose a day
<br />long r"cu. Waters accumuLated
<br />from th~ runoff down through
<br />East Pl,,", CT"~~~ 8n<l w,,"t Pl,_""
<br />Creek,variousgOllches, conver-
<br />ging at south entrancc of Castle
<br />Rock, washed out all bridges en-
<br />route. Cherry Crcek gathered
<br />more Water sided by varioOlS
<br />gulches enroute weat Parker and
<br />on into the Cherry Creek Dam.
<br />nooded pt",,, Creek emptied into
<br />the Platte and continued w"shing
<br />out bridges, buildings, down
<br />through ~nver. Thursday, June
<br />17,1965, tornado ....arnings in
<br />Castle Rock were iss~cd but wind
<br />
<br />ble.. the threatening clouds cast
<br />into the Elbert-Kiowa area where
<br />the 8kies dumped a deluge in the
<br />Kiowa Creek-East Bijou Creek and
<br />vario'J" [lulche8, creekscnroute
<br />"orth about 6:00 ~.m. in "'"a.,-
<br />time, about 1:30 p.m. a tornndo
<br />had J'Jmped tons of water in the
<br />Fountain ares, sending "aters
<br />cascading down the flooding
<br />ArkllnsBsRi.v"r..""t through Pueb
<br />'0.
<br />
<br />. ". Merle ,. Adnms (resident: 10' years)
<br />" .':lr. Emil ,. Bostrom (resident: >0' ye"rs)
<br />.. :1T. Warren O. Gatla"d (resident: W. ye"r~)
<br />. :1r. Harold ,. Hundlcy (resident: >0' years)
<br />, ~. George ,. McClellan (resident: 10. years)
<br />
<br />Labeled the "grest"H calamity
<br />inCoLor<ldo history", the Hoods
<br />rOlled through Nebraska and Kan-
<br />sasout of Colorado. At samc
<br />timc floods were reported origi-
<br />nating in lIew llcxico also.
<br />
<br />Since the specific rccollection. or each peuon intcrviewed were gcnwrally
<br />1n agreement, the commentS are summatized in the following statemcnts'
<br />
<br />W()()d~n bridg"~ acro"" 11,mning Creek were w..shed out several ti,DeS
<br />prior to 1935. The bridges were wooden trestle types and werc some-
<br />....hat shorter and had le38 clcaranee thnn later bridges.
<br />
<br />Debris iamninr.wolS.Hteastapnrtialc,,,,",'ofbridgetailurcs. pier
<br />scour ~~d overtopping probably combined to cause ~h~ 1935 bridge [sil-
<br />
<br />'Jr.".
<br />
<br />-19-
<br />
<br />-18-
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