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<br />switched the91 J line OVer to theciry's dispatch center. She called Chief
<br />Hopkins to lethim knowdleywere abandoning ship loset up command
<br />posts elsewhere. "We hadasergeant\\ilh uswho let usouiof the building
<br />in a wayweweren 'tfamiliarwitb, because the .,.,ayweusuall}'come in was
<br />completely impassable. He got us out Onto the south side, and then We
<br />had to get across the parking lot, which was probably three.. or 'four.feet
<br />deep. It was like a river, a fast.running current. and it was at that point I
<br />realized that, definitely, wecould be in trouble."
<br />Assoon ashegottheca1Jfromcampus. DonnHopkin.deft his home
<br />10 help out with the situation. He arrived at the rioith"entrance near
<br />Green Hall and drrn.'edown MeridianA,,-cnue toward the pOlice~ciltion.
<br />TheflowofwaterrushingofftheintramuraJfieldand toward the student
<br />centerpided uphiscarandmoveditsideways. Using bispoliceradioand
<br />cell phone, Hopkins began making calls - to his sraff, to Housing, to .
<br />EnvironmentalHeaJdl, and to ltisboss, Gerry&motti. thevicepresident
<br />for Administrative Services. . .
<br />At 10:03, the National Weather Service issued anomer flash flood
<br />warning> this time until midnighL It was projected that the rain would
<br />continue to fuJJ at a rate of two inches per hour.
<br />
<br />Crazy weather
<br />Fast.flowingwaterwasdividing thecity imoislands.Ar 10:]4, Glenn
<br />1..evJ.' called in second and lhird alann, a measure (Q bring in aU lhe cil)"s
<br />off-dutyresources. "And bring~'Ourlifejadets, -he ordered., \\'henl..e\.y's
<br />firechief,john Mulligan, gotthe pageathis homeoD the.southeasuide,
<br />he looked at the misting rain outside and thought. Gitnn s insane, nor
<br />knowing !.hat a mile-and-a-haIf away it "'"as the rain that IoVa$ going crazy.
<br />A li((le after 10:00 at the newly renovated Morgan library, custodial
<br />supervisor Ken McCandless noticed water 1eakinl{ throuQ:h the roof
<br />
<br />.100-
<br />.,
<br />oving
<br />om.
<br />d no
<br />ltwas
<br />eking
<br />
<br />lb.
<br />pus
<br />'hen
<br />lb.
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<br />
<br />
<br />on
<br />
<br />c:w;todians in from the Qark Building.. From the west doors, waler had
<br />also started leaking into the basement McCandless asked Kevin Creeden
<br />and MaryTatetogodown therell-ith wetvacs. Thecustodial team worked
<br />frantic.alJy tIying keep upwith !.he watt'r coming in. Then came the groan,
<br />the eerie sound of afoundation about to give way. Creeden yelled to Tale
<br />and then unplugged tbewt:tvacs. Thelll-'O ran forthestairsand slarted
<br />up at the same time a seclion of the west wall carne crashing lhrough,
<br />tossingsheh'esofbooks like (oy boalS, moving a einderblock wall.
<br />Atthe sametime,justoutside the LoIJStudem Center,studentsulf
<br />member Brian Haileyll-"asstandingin the pounding rain> tryingtoshovel
<br />warerawayfrom thedoorsl'o-itha.m.owshovel, l+i1enhegottht uncomfoJ1.
<br />able feelinghewasfightinga losing battle, Inside, game room manager
<br />Connie Lane hadaskedhersufftogetoutashop,-'aC. "\Velll'Creemptying
<br />itforthe third time when we saw the water blowing through the bottom
<br />panels of the doors," she recalls. "The hallwayfiJled instantlywith three-
<br />and-orhalfor four feet ofwaler. We got out of there. .
<br />
<br />Angry water
<br />It was 10030atnightonJuly28, when 6,OOOpeopleattendingsummer
<br />session and conferences occupied the campus, and three important
<br />campus buildingswere rendered useless by whatsntdent cenler director
<br />Manha Blood describes as water that "was angry, that churned like a
<br />blender in every direction, .
<br />And then, astrange thing happened The rain stopped.
<br />Butoo sense of calm followed. The wild voyage of the flood waters
<br />hadonJyjustbegun.SpringCreek. thenonnallyttanquilstreamonecan
<br />leap over in spots, had swelled out of its banks and converged \lith the
<br />river raging down West Prospect Road. By 10:4.5, where the creek runs
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />through agr.usyfiekl behind University ParkHoliday Inn,a~ild l5--[oot-
<br />deep lake had fonned. For the moment, the elevated train tracks less than
<br />a block east of the Holiday Inn kept the water from spiUing O\'er imo
<br />JOhnson and SpringCret'k Trailer Farbon theother:side of the tTacks.
<br />At 10;51, a city dispalcher concacted Burlington Northern and
<br />Union Pacific railroads,advisingthem to:stopalltrain traffic into tht:cil)',
<br />One train was already en route at tbe north end of tow, crossing majur
<br />imersections.
<br />At 10:55, an employee from Fort Collins Outdoor World. directly
<br />north of the trailer parks, called to repon "major flooding" at the trailers
<br />and. businesses near J 799 S_ College A'-'e.Water had started spilJingm'er
<br />the tracks and through the bike tunnel and cuJvens that lead into the
<br />adjacent trailer parks. Within seconds. the trailer parks. by.all appear-
<br />ances, had turned imoa Jlydroelecrrk plant.An officer radioed; "Some4
<br />one is $Creaming at 1799 S. College that their baby is stuck in a trailer."
<br />and the trailerwasfloatinga\'r'aY. ,
<br />1b;l.['S when we sent the cavaJryin," Glenn Lerysays.
<br />!twas 10:59, thesame minutewhen johllny'sLiquors,justnorth of
<br />: Outdoor World and the trailer parks, exploded The-victim ofa natural
<br />gas leak, the slore began tosizzJe in flames.
<br />
<br />The eleventh hour
<br />Dunngthenextminute.atll p,m., three traile-rswere a1soon fire,
<br />the resuh of more natural gas leaks prompted by the swiftly movingwater.
<br />Like a scene out of a hOlTor movie. the trailer parks were quickly
<br />tumingintoawaterparkgone awry. Residentsdimbedon top on their
<br />homes and into the surrounding cottonwoods,. clutching for tlleir lives,
<br />screamingforhdp.
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