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tcc~iuent rememners past tloocis By JUL-E BAXTER ~t rd: Staff writer Jerry Seip has weathered many a storm from his home at 349 Russell St. in Craig. Until Fortification Creek jumped its banks Wednesday, the flood of 1947 was [he weather disaster foremost in his mind. Seip said even Wednesday's flood doesn't rival the one that hit Craig 51 years ago. "The one in '47 covered a lot more area;' he said. '"this is the biggest one I've seen since '47." Seip was 16 when the flood struck. One of his most vivid memories is of his mother's friends and neighbors moving all the furniture from the lower level of the Russell Street house to two upstairs rooms. "14'e put all our stuff in those two rooms upstairs in case it came;' Seip said. Seip and his wife, Wilma, live in that same house today, tying his memories of the Flood of '47 closely to memories made Wednesday. Across [own many people were also scrambling to save their possessions from the water's vora- cious appetite of 1947. The flood consumed nearly 100 acres, [he county fairgrounds were covered and U.S. Highway 40 was impass- able under nearly two feet of water, according to a March 19, 1947, article in the Craig-Empire Courier. The Congregational Church basement was also Flooded. Ironically, that same spot was hit Wednesday -the Congregational Church stood where Community First Bank now does. Ice that was jammed under- neath the railroad bridgejus[ north of First Street, combined with unseasonably warm days and early snow melt were [he forces behind the flood of '47. The ice was so bottle-necked, County Commissioner Claude Myers called The Denver Post to enlist the help of the U.S. Army. His request was simple, bring a B-29 Photo ®Ihe Museum of Northwest Colorado Waters rose enough to cover wagon wheels in 1904. This photo was taken on the 400 block of Rose Street in front of the Rose barn. and bomb the ice at the mouth of Fortification Creek. Flooding isn't a new phenom- enon in Craig. Major floods hap- pened in 1904, 1911, 1916, 1917, 1921 and 1947. Five less severe floods were recorded in 1902, 1906, 1922, 1923 and 1926. Dan Davidson, director of the Museum of Northwest Colorado, said every time a Flood devastated the area, city leaders would try to make changes in Fortification Creek to avert future disaster. Every time it didn't seem to work as well as they hoped. After the flood of '47, Fortification Creek's winding path was made straighter, wider and deeper. That Flood control project was completed in 1949, according to a book titled "Flood Hazard Information" compiled by the Army's Sacramento District Corps of Engineers. "To my knowledge, there has never been Flood in Fortification since then;' Davidson said. "Until (Wednesday)." Seip said the Flood of'47 kept the city under water for at least a day or two. And despite the gravi- ty of the situation, he and his younger brother Hany still found time to enjoy the water. A vacant lot where Craig Steel now stands was transformed into a private lake, and the Seip brothers didn't miss their opportunity to set their oars to water The day of boating also ranks high among Seip's rec- ollections of the spring when Craig became a water park. He's even got the pictures to prove it. lflnil^, Dnnnc~ nnntnnto. i t-R.,,,-,ar ..nnn~t Phola couresry of terry Seip Terry Seip remembers many times of bad weather, but the flood of 1947 is the clearest. Above, Jerry and his brother, Harry, boat in a waterlogged vacant lot.