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<br />(,OJ521
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<br />Now is the time to assess problems and help neighbors
<br />
<br />Flooding began in the San Luis Valley during
<br />the weekend.
<br />, A result of a heavy snowpack in the moufains,
<br />warm femperatures and weekend rains. rivers
<br />flooded their banks,
<br />The actual fhreat of flood began weeks before
<br />the dikes broke. Officials began watching the
<br />water level with dread in early May, and on May
<br />9. state division of water, flational weather
<br />service and Alamosa law enforcement and
<br />government agents met to discu'ss the situation.
<br />No emergencies were declared, but warnings
<br />were issued and a list of things to do in a flood
<br />emergency was published in the Courier,
<br />Cool temperatures came during fhe weekend,
<br />however, The wafer level subsided some, and, as
<br />is usually thp. cas" with human nature. so did the
<br />concern.
<br />The watching, however, did not stop, and of-
<br />ficials became primarily concerned with sending
<br />run off water south to meef the state's debt.
<br />One month later, the river began overflowing
<br />its banks,
<br />The towns of Del Norte and Monte Vista were
<br />hit, and some residents found themselves
<br />spending Sunday afternoon evacuating homes,
<br />filling and carrying sand bags and trying to
<br />protect businesses,
<br />One dike that broke Sunday and forced the
<br />evacua1ion of families was in the Swede Lane
<br />area west of the Rio Grande bridge on Highway
<br />285,
<br />According Monday's Courier article, a county
<br />commissioner walked the dike above highway
<br />285 at about 3 p,m, Sunday but didn't notice any
<br />breaks, A half hour later, his son notified him
<br />that on of his fields was under water,
<br />Tnffic had to be routed around highway 285,
<br />. "rl;~ Station KSLV was
<br />
<br />surrounded by water. A transmitter was
<br />damaged from the waters,
<br />The possible damage to the transmitter had
<br />been anticipated for several years and then
<br />forgotten, the article stated, A dike was built
<br />around the transmitter two years ago, but
<br />someone mowed it down.
<br />The flood waters Sunday night went beyond the
<br />radio station. Despite sandbagging and filling
<br />with other maferials, the water could not be
<br />stopped, and, by Monday night, the flood reached
<br />Monte Vista businesses.
<br />This affernoon, a press release reached the
<br />editor's desk, The statement from Alamosa
<br />officials warned that the river is expected to
<br />reach peak and sustain that for the next four tOI
<br />six days. Some residences may sustain low level \
<br />floodinQ. I
<br />In the face of such a disaster, the questions .
<br />come flooding through the mind.
<br />Usually, they're ego,based questions such as,
<br />"Why did this happen to me? Why did God
<br />(Mother Nature or whatever you believe in) do
<br />this to me?" I
<br />Often, the mind seeks scapegoats and seeks
<br />someone to blame - officials, residents living up
<br />river, the media. anyone.
<br />The questions are unanswerable, and blaming
<br />someone is insignificant when considering the
<br />task that lies ahead. More practical questions
<br />and matters must be addressed - questions such
<br />as how to take care of damaged property, where
<br />to go and what to do,
<br />
<br />Now is the time for residents of the San Luis
<br />Valley to assess the scope of the current
<br />situation, and to help their neighbors survive
<br />despite problems they may have experienced _ i
<br />or may experience in the coming days,
<br />
<br />-Scarffe
<br />
<br />A friend who sees the positive
<br />
<br />By MELISSA MONSON
<br />Courier Regional Editor
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