Critter Sitter's Blog: Boulder's 1,000 Year Flood Event (With Photos)

My brother-in-law will have his 75th birthday in 5 days. Five years ago, knowing the family would throw a huge party for his 70th (if he were here), he and my sister left for Washington state for a private celebration without electronics or news alerts. I stayed at their house while they were gone. Fourmile Canyon Creek runs at the edge of their property, and the Silver Lake Irrigation Ditch runs through the back yard, and then alongside the creek. Jim has always been fascinated with water flow in the area, and had stated for years that he'd like to be able to observe a flood event. He missed it.
The first week of September 2013 was very warm, with temperatures in the 90s (F) and two high record breaking days. A cold front was due, and a little rain. The rain began to fall on 9 September, and the high temperatures dropped by 30 degrees. In a period of eight days, Boulder, itself, recorded 17.24 inches of rain - almost our yearly average... the irrigation ditches flooded, streams and creeks flooded. It was an amazing event. I went back to my apartment after the second day of rain, unplugged everything, and placed everything else on counters and tables. I took my two cats to my sister and brother-in-laws house, which had two stories.
I went out and about wearing my brother-in-law's fish waders, and helped people in the neighborhood move and adjust their belongings. There is a slight rise in my brother-in-law's yard and that's what saved his house. The floodwaters rose in the edges of the yard, but stopped 15 to 20 feet away from the walls and foundations. They were lucky - especially in the act they had no basement.
Boulder was hit hard by the flooding 8 people lost their lives; 1,102 people were air-lifted from their homes and/or vehicles, and another 707 were evacuated by boat and road combinations - and that doesn't count pets who were evacuated, too. All in all, more than 150 miles of county roads were destroyed, and over 1,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Reconstruction is continuing today, with the last cost estimate at $3 billion-plus.
My sister and brother-in-law finally caught a glimpse of the news of the Boulder flooding during the last day of the rain - and it was a YouTube film that the neighbor who lives two doors down had shot, showing the entire street was washed away in front of his home. I suddenly received a panicked call from Washington state. I was able to convince them that their property was fine, if water-logged around the edges. The other neighbors - not so good. So far, most of their neighborhood has recovered and returned almost to normal - but when it rains and the winds howl, folks look askance at the sky....

My sister and brother-in-law live on Topaz Drive...