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<br />
<br />Berltloud WeeklySulVeyor: July 19,2006 .PageSa
<br />Circulation: 3,000
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<br />30 years later,.. signs of the Big Thompson flood remain
<br />
<br />
<br />Tbe drive from the mouth of
<br />the Narrows to the entrance
<br />of Estes Park is still perhaps
<br />the most beautiful drive in COlorado,
<br />It was Ol>ce even more beautiful. hut
<br />on the eve of Colorado's Centennial
<br />celebration, on July 31 in 1976 the
<br />Big Thompson River flooded - de-
<br />sh'Oying everything in its path,
<br />The storm causing the disaster
<br />stalled at the top ofthecat>yon and
<br />dropped an incredible amount of wa-
<br />ter in the lippeI' valleyS in a shOI't pe-
<br />l'iod of time. In its path thousandS of
<br />people were enjoying the day. Many
<br />residents in their homes and cabins
<br />were enter;,.
<br />taining family
<br />and friends.
<br />'rbe wonderful
<br />motels in the
<br />canyon we-re
<br />filled with
<br /><tout of
<br />staters.'~ and
<br />the camp.
<br />grounds were
<br />ftlled with
<br />tourists.
<br />Cars, l'OadS,
<br />trees, boul-
<br />ders, public
<br />utilities,
<br />propane tariks,
<br />houses, pets,
<br />and people-
<br />all ended up in
<br />the tangle of widespread ruin that cx.
<br />tended the entire length ofthe river
<br />!'rom Estes Park to the South Platte
<br />riveI' near Greeley. In less thans.ix
<br />hours, this storm changed thousands
<br />of lives forever.
<br />. Tbe heroism and despl!il' of the
<br />people who witnessed that night will .
<br />never be fully told. For some, it was
<br />by chanee that they were there; ~!!.l(
<br />simply became entangled in thelllWd',
<br />Others were residents or vacationers
<br />who had come to enjoY the beauty of
<br />tbe canyon on tbe weekend. For the
<br />businesses and the people that lived
<br />in the canyon, it was devastation, For
<br />the families of some vacationers, at
<br />f'llStnot wanting to believe what
<br />might have happened. and then hav-
<br />ing to go to the temporary morgue to
<br />retrieve their ,family, it was a painful
<br />ordeal.
<br />For a time, all aspects of life in the
<br />region were affected, Great numbers
<br />of anxious people arrived from out of
<br />state needing transportatiOn and a
<br />place to stay. Motels and hotels were
<br />rdled, so people oCthe community
<br />opened their homes. and pmvtded
<br />tl'e.nsportation. f;lcbools dealkWith dis-
<br />rupted Camilies; insurance and tax
<br />people were deluged with paperwork;
<br />clean up and road construction crews
<br />wC!'e hard pressed; and the media Wa>;
<br />ever present.
<br />In the af\;ermath, it was a tribute to
<br />
<br />J
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Homeowner!; faced a discouraging site the day after the floOd, as the extent of the damage became apparent.
<br />
<br />Courtesy photo
<br />
<br />the cities of Loveland and'Estes Park
<br />in the way tbey came to the aid of the
<br />people in crisis. Tne love, Concern and
<br />charity cxtended to tbese people will
<br />never be forgotten. The aid given by
<br />the Mennonites, Interfaith, the Red
<br />Cross, the Salvation Army and HUD
<br />is still remembered with love and
<br />gratitude.
<br />PHP>>g the first few years after the
<br />'f1@Rnuln.v government agencies and
<br />university classes conducted tours to
<br />study the recoverY process. Today
<br />only an occasional group might tour
<br />the canyon to see if the signs of the
<br />disaster Itre still Visible Or if recovery
<br />programs brought success. Thel'e are
<br />still little tattletale signs. As you drive
<br />east down tbe canyon from Estes Park
<br />look for the large trees. near the river.
<br />If they are part ofthe 20 percent or
<br />the trees that survived botb the flood
<br />and the axe, you can see the debris
<br />scars where the bark was torn aWav
<br />several feet up the trunks. .
<br />It has been 30 years since the
<br />heavy rains destroyed the canyon, To-
<br />dllYi sadly, the canyon i. no longer the
<br />destination, but the means to a desti- .
<br />nation. Loveland has gl'Own and Estes
<br />'Park is no longer a village, but a town.
<br />
<br />The canyon road is a 'Gateway to the
<br />Rockies, t as the commissioners in the
<br />19008 bad hoped. but what they had
<br />no way of knowing is the advances
<br />made in transportation. Traffic is
<br />faster. It is difficult to go slow enough
<br />to see the sigbts; there is always
<br />some-one behind 'you in a burry. It is
<br />hard toslow down and find a good
<br />place to picnic when tbere are four or
<br />five cars pressing you to- move faster
<br />as they commute. Because the road
<br />has made accesS into the mountains
<br />easy, more people are making perma-
<br />nentbomes along its slopes and in the
<br />meadOWS and valleys. MOra residents
<br />add to the traffic year around.
<br />The dynamics and dimensions of
<br />tbisllOOilwere unique, as in any dis.
<br />aster, but the possibility of an occur-
<br />rence in any of COlorado's many
<br />canyons is always present. We can be
<br />sure it will bappen someplace along
<br />the Front Range again. Let us bope
<br />that we and future generations of
<br />residents and visitors do not forget
<br />what these victims paid so dearly for
<br />us to learn. The old adage of George
<br />Santayana, "Those who cannot re-.
<br />member the past are condemned to
<br />repeat it>> is most appropriate.
<br />
<br />To rememher the devastating
<br />event, Denver's mews and ita Cbief
<br />Meteorologist Mike Nelson will pre.
<br />sent ''Tribute to the Big Thompson:
<br />30 Years Mer tbe F100dt the next in
<br />an ongoing scries'of f...... public weath-
<br />er seminars. It will be presented in co-
<br />ordination with the Northern Col-
<br />orado Water Conservancy District and
<br />will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday,
<br />
<br />July 31, at the District's facility in
<br />B&rthoud, 220 Water Ave. (just north
<br />of Bertboud on the west side of U.S.
<br />Highway 287)
<br />Those who want to,add their st0-
<br />ries or memories of the IJood 10 the
<br />archives can send them to P.O.Box 45,
<br />Drake CO 80515, or bring lhem to the
<br />BTCA building on the 30tb when tbey
<br />come for lhe visit.
<br />
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