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<br /> <br />State of Colorado 1276-DR-CO <br />Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team Report <br /> <br />July 1999 <br /> <br />Description of Event <br /> <br />The three-day rainfall event occurred on April 29-May I, 1999. Heavy rain and saturated soils <br />caused flooding in lwo major areas along the Front Range: Northeastern Colorado along lhe <br />South Platte River and some of its tributaries; and Southeastern Colorado along the Arkansas <br />River and some its lribularies. <br /> <br />Rainfall tolals of up to 13 inches were recorded in the Cheyenne Mountain region of Colorado <br />Springs. The La Junta region recorded approximately 8 inches over the same three-day period. <br />The Arkansas River broke the dikes near North La Junta flooding approximately 200 residences <br />and businesses. The stormwater runoff from the three-day general rain resulted in large flood <br />inundation and erosion in the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek watersheds. <br /> <br />These rainfall totals are large, but not extreme in comparison to the largest slorms experienced in <br />Colorado. What made lhis storm so interesting (and the flood flows so large) was the fact that <br />rainfall was so widespread that most of the affected basins were receiving heavy rainfall <br />basinwide. This is not the "norm" for Colorado. Also, rain on snow is generally not a great <br />problem in Colorado, but sizeable areas of the Front Range foothills did receive heavy rain on <br />top of several inches of saturated snowpack. The melt rate of this snow pack was low, but <br />additional water was added to the runoff. <br /> <br />The flooding that occurred along Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River was significant and will <br />likely be considered the worst flooding event since 1965. However, the storm affected Bent, <br />Crowley, Cusler, Elbert, EI Paso, Fremont, Kiowa, Larimer, Las Animas, Otero, Pueblo, and <br />Weld Counties. These counties sustained damage to roads, bridges, culverts, homes and <br />business from overtopping, dike breaches, erosion, mudslides, and rockslides. <br /> <br />RIVER DATE FLOOD STAGE CREST <br />Fountain Creek 8 11.7 <br />@ Colorado Springs April 30 Feet Feet <br />Fountain Creek 7 11.8 <br />@ Fountain April 30 Feet Feet <br />Fountain Creek' 10 12.5 <br />@Pueblo May I Feet Feet <br />Arkansas River 7 10.5 <br />@ Avondale April 30 Feet Feet <br />Arkansas River 9 11.3 <br />@Fowler May I Feet Feet <br />Arkansas River 10 15.6 <br />@ La Junta May 2 Feet Feet <br />Arkansas River 10 13.9 <br />@ Las Animas May 2 Feet Feet <br /> 3 <br />