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<br />
<br />.~ e-
<br />m .f u...
<br />flrefl.hte....
<br />Jeff Gmespie. ,
<br />L . 0 save two more ~
<br />r park residents. But some
<br />lost.l
<br />fwoman was lound dead two'
<br />,downatream1 other victims
<br />Od three blOCk! away.
<br />,bard to unde...tand such a gi- .
<br />liurallorce.~,' .
<br />i typical July day, Sprln.
<br />i,ll1O sklnny you aunost 'Can
<br />~c..... It. the stream 110ws a
<br />:y 7 or 81eet wide. But on the ."
<br />of the flash flood, when .
<br />i duntped 8 Inches 01 rain In
<br />!An 8 hou..., SprIng Creek un.
<br />id waves that towered more
<br />~Ieet. I'"
<br />m.er than a freight train.
<br />J Creek thr6w a strln. of
<br />I' coal cars off Ihelr railroad
<br />':'tl $,41
<br />rJohnsOnand South Colle.e
<br />rpam suffered the worat be- '
<br />lheywere wed.ed betwaen
<br />icks and Colle.e Avenue. ~.
<br />he rails and the road were
<br />ltop elevated embankments.
<br />~ the rains came, the em-
<br />ieitts Mrved as dalM lhat
<br />ld, then released, sur.es of
<br />'ater.l~~ ,:
<br />:Pllarew even worse
<br />Ir trallera btl,an clog.
<br />be , baCklnf up even
<br />\Vater fore final y breaking
<br />pressure - and creating an.
<br />wave; if:"
<br />l than' 12 hours after the
<br />l00d. Spr!na Creek had drop-
<br />Its naturafbanks, revealln.
<br />rror of the nI.ht before.
<br />If" ~'.'
<br />!be upalre.m side of the
<br />lane Colle,. Avenue bridge. a
<br />t camper treller was !!I
<br />ISd sldewaY!'\ with mud on Its
<br />lid soiled wrote curtains dan-
<br />lut the downhill window. . .,
<br />~'io.th creek bank, a Ion,
<br />nub1e-wlde was Jammed ba-
<br />[a cottonwood and white mo-
<br />l!Ile; both trailers had been
<br />'at least 75 feet from their
<br />Al moorln.s. 1Il
<br />. :d ~,iI.~
<br />town flowered IOfa was
<br />. but charred In half, the ra-
<br />lnateral,as fires that Ignit.
<br />II efter the clouds burat. On
<br />Idge revetment were the
<br />mp of IIle: a muddy black
<br />Jihl woman's sandal soakad
<br />!oopers hag, crscked plastic
<br />tpOI and a videotape with the ~
<br />written label, "Robin Hood,
<br />
<br />I."
<br />r d,e stank of mud,
<br />d truck exhaust.
<br />t. .'.
<br />lOr! welk downstream, about
<br />~ above the rln. 01 the reced.
<br />~;~~n;~rcle~~lraled
<br />l t.
<br />~ - =,
<br />
<br />. .'~
<br />.'. . fraIn'
<br />1:".. 411% .~.
<br />f' ui <'i'2~l'~
<br />I ~,
<br />By KIeran NIOhOI
<br />Dtn.........l..~ W
<br />"ItltaIUd"r'.bIi
<br />on 8oi11day nil
<br />d1tc1Jti aild
<br />>,;~\\1io~. !to
<br />hll.. Twast. of
<br />. .,. duinplng 8.41
<br />hotlt'St A fi.
<br />'\'b. chain
<br />~'. spawned Ibe
<br />r tIme, anywh
<br />. ,~nr~ y,
<br />"Every year'
<br />;ltlallor flub I ,"
<br />I Glancy 0/ Ih.Nitidli'l
<br />, Service. "It's.. 'dM '.
<br />t;r.ar In Colorado ~4;,
<br />E:c <: movl,?, tltund.ntorinI.,
<br />i,,-l.raill. ~ ~
<br />~. I' The storm'that sta
<br />. lloothllls abont I ~{.rn. II'
<br />1 IFort Collins on lICoil'(a
<br />i Ullnchea of ra.lg^\lll,t
<br />: 'IO:!O p.m.. Glaney'Uld.
<br />On the Colorade State t1
<br />. campus. 8.07 Inches 01 rain lellln a
<br />. It-bour period endln, at 8 a.m.
<br />j .Tuesday. Of the 6'pluslnchl!'l,'.U3
<br />! Inches lellln the latter 11 I10tJtf 01
<br />t: 'that period. '.' .,Wj)~ '. ;1'& {'." t1t.
<br />!. "For Colorado. It sure Is an ow,
<br />J lullot 01 water," said Glancy, who
<br />i coordinates warnlnp eoncernln.
<br />~ fltreme weather lor the agencyl"
<br />I . Winds played a bl. par! in.. ~
<br />~, flood. . '.' ;;2" ,,-,
<br />.! "A soulheast sutlacewlnd - a
<br />j moisture conveyor belt - pullad a
<br />! ,r lot 01 molstllN Into the area, " saId
<br />, Mike NeIJon, KUSA~.Chennel 9 ma-.
<br />teorolOlist. ii ';' '-1~, t",L/~ ~:;
<br />· I The lM'lace wind "Pldhed 'molal
<br />~ air up against the foothills west of '@!
<br />Fort ColUns. and IllY winds alofl, , ill ~ '
<br />only 10 to 16 mph, w', re, not stron. i; ~ r
<br />enou.h to dlsperoe"the flow. It . "
<br />. stalled, building Into a IIatjotlary ~ >
<br />r;~~I~~tlr:::::.~~1 t '190"1"':,
<br />~'r.J.btlhlnd Bi~ Thompse~,; ~.t.u~ ' II~' ~
<br />~ 'l On July 31. 1918. up to 12 inChes O.
<br />~~er~~t~:lIp~r:~~~.o':."n::a,:~: . . . ..' . Jr!E~,4 ii/!fI)
<br />! the deadly BI, Thompson flood;' " .,6ur~loIvp~"
<br />which klllad t46 ~ple. W' ~ ~ ""
<br />., ov:~ta ~:yJu~'ir:~~~:: ::~~t ~el~ D(idntinued , >;
<br />as th. P'or! Collins flood. ThecallM ;:;"':~' :........f".I'G..H' T :,
<br />Is very:'lmUar," NelSOn said. '.~ ~",i L.
<br />, "In May and June; our big con- ji.6 U L6S ~
<br />~rn Is hail and tornadoes. In'July III
<br />aod Au.ust. our bl, concern i.
<br />fluh flooding Irom slow-movln. ' :~ (" ~
<br />~:::r:;hO live in ca:'ons;i ChiC" UDDr~ 'I '...t' L..S""UIllOr Thl
<br />lo~'~\sa~::e a:d.:~nf. r~e~~ 'II "\h' <."111., #' ,IB- ,II, .
<br />:rert. 'I'" ~\i; Illl I. ')! 'f' At~"""O/'achltan~l>lelnll>;stcnlatth6~of!alt I
<br />. I Th~ ~~~Clft" ~(:)~ 1:.. v~lA~f -~)",~A~ -'tiL .:~ . ~ P."'. ~ . ~:'lI~,"" ~.
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