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The 2013 Colorado floods were a series of natural disasters occurring in the
U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
state of
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
. Starting on September 11, 2013, a slow-moving
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
stalled over Colorado, clashing with warm humid monsoonal air from the south. This resulted in heavy rain and catastrophic flooding along Colorado's
Front Range The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado, and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encounter ...
from
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
north to Fort Collins. The situation intensified on September 11 and 12. Boulder County was worst hit, with recorded September 12 and up to of rain recorded by September 15, which is comparable to Boulder County's average annual precipitation (20.7 inches, 525 mm). This event has also been referred to as the 2013 Colorado Front Range Flood, reflecting a more precise geographic extent in and along the Colorado Front Range mountains. The National Weather Service's Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center stated in a document that the annual exceedance probability (AEP) for the entire rainfall event was as low as 1/1000 (0.1%) in places. The flood waters spread across a range of almost from north to south, affecting 17 counties. Governor
John Hickenlooper John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. ( ; born February 7, 1952) is an American politician, geologist, and businessman serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Colorado since 2021. A mem ...
declared a disaster emergency on September 12, 2013, in 14 counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield,
Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...
,
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
,
El Paso El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...
, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan,
Pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...
,
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
and Weld. By September 15, federal emergency declarations covered those 14 counties as well as Clear Creek County.


Background

The state of Colorado had been experiencing varying levels of
drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
prior to the week of storms starting on September 9. The U.S. Drought Monitor stated that "The combination of ample Gulf and Pacific tropical moisture (in part from Tropical Storms Manuel (Pacific) and Ingrid (Gulf) which inundated Mexico), stalled frontal systems, and upsloping conditions produced the widespread rainfall long Colorado's Front Range" This resulted in rainfall totals exceeding 20 inches in parts of Boulder County, along with numerous flash floods, property destruction and loss of life.


Historic flooding

Colorado has a
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
and has had a history of
flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...
ing. The earliest recorded flood in Boulder was the great flood of 1894 which came down Boulder Canyon. It wiped out Canyon Street, then known as Water Street, and flooded most of the downtown area. In 1965 another flood hit Colorado. The Big Thompson River begins around
Estes Park Estes Park () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town, statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropo ...
in northern Colorado and flows east through the state into Big Thompson Canyon. On July 31, 1976, the Big Thompson Flood of 1976 struck. In the first hour alone, 8 inches of rainfall was recorded for a total of 12 inches during the first three hours. The flash flooding killed 144 people and caused $35 million worth of damage in 1977 US dollar values, or roughly $140 million in 2013. Comparatively, the 2013 Flooding was caused by approximately 15 inches of rainfall over the span of a week which killed 8 people and caused $2 billion in damage. The rainfall in 2013 was clearly more than that in 1976. However, the flooding was more intensive in 1976 because the rainfall that fell occurred in a much shorter time frame and caught many people off guard. In 2013, The Big Thompson River experienced peak flow rates near Loveland, CO of 4,500 CFS (127.43 cubic meters per second) before the measuring gauge was destroyed by floodwaters. In 1976, the same area of the river saw peak flow rates of . As a result, this is not the worst flooding Colorado has seen, but it is the heaviest rainfall Colorado has seen.


Impact

At least eight deaths were reported by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, with two more missing and presumed dead and hundreds remaining unaccounted for. More than 11,000 were evacuated. The town of
Lyons Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
in Boulder County was isolated by the flooding of St. Vrain Creek, and several earth dams along the Front Range burst or were over-topped. On September 12, Boulder Creek was reported to have exceeded of water per second. Boulder Creek regularly flows around per second. This caused serious damage to buildings along the creek and the creek path such as Boulder High School. As of late September 13, according to the Office of Emergency Management, there were 172 people unaccounted for and at least three dead in flood areas of Boulder County. By September 14, the death toll had reached five and more than 500 were unaccounted for, but not necessarily considered missing. At least 1,750 people and 300 pets have been rescued by air and ground. Rescue efforts were hampered by continuing rain and a low cloud ceiling, which grounded National Guard helicopters September 15. Nearly 19,000 homes were damaged, and over 1,500 were destroyed. The
Colorado Department of Transportation The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT, pronounced See Dot) is the principal department of the government of Colorado, Colorado state government that administers state government responsibility for Transportation in Colorado, transport ...
estimates that at least 30 state highway bridges were destroyed and an additional 20 are seriously damaged, with repairs for damaged bridges and roads expected to cost many millions of dollars. Miles of freight and passenger rail lines were washed out or submerged, including a section servicing
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's iconic ''
California Zephyr The ''California Zephyr'' is a Amtrak Long Distance, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area (at Emeryville station, Emeryville), via Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, Denver, Sa ...
''. Rainfall totals recorded by the
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
(CoCoRaHS) from September 9–15, 2013 show significant totals in the
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
,
Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...
and
Estes Park Estes Park () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town, statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropo ...
areas with several locations in the city of Boulder recording of rain.


Impact by county

*
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
in Arapahoe County experienced flash flooding with up to of rain in a six-hour period. *Rainfall over five days in Boulder County exceeded the county's annual average. Three deaths have been confirmed in Boulder County. Over 1,600 were evacuated, with 262 homes destroyed and nearly 300 more damaged. Nearly were damaged by flooding. Roads suffered extensive damage in Big Thompson Canyon and Buckhorn Canyon, with some sections completely washed away. Maps of the flooding are available on the Boulder County Government website. Jamestown experienced losses of 20% of homes and 50% of roads, with one fatality reported. *The
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
metro area experienced more flooding in the eastern part of the
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
, and the city itself received 3.72 inches of rain during the flood. *
Fountain Creek Fountain Creek is a creek that originates in Woodland Park in Teller County and flows through El Paso County to its confluence with the Arkansas River near Pueblo in Pueblo County, Colorado. The creek,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hyd ...
in El Paso County flooded, with the municipalities of
Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...
reporting close to 19 inches of precipitation and
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
reporting one fatality. *In
Jefferson County, Colorado Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 582,910, making it the fourth-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Golden, and the most populous city is Lakewood. ...
, flooding in Coal Creek Canyon damaged Highway 72 to the point of closure, and it re-opened in November 2013. The town of
Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
had a Level 1 evacuation notice when Bear Creek (Colorado) reached a flood stage of 9 feet. *
Larimer County Larimer County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins, Colorado, Fort Colli ...
was also hit hard, with affected by flooding, and 1,500 homes and 200 businesses destroyed. An additional 4,500 homes and 500 businesses were estimated to be damaged. Extensive road damage in Big Thompson Canyon cut off-road access to the communities of
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
, Glen Haven, and Cedar Park. Three dams also failed in the county. Both U.S. Highway 36 and U.S. Highway 34, the major routes into the tourist town of
Estes Park Estes Park () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town, statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropo ...
, were severely damaged. Hundreds of Estes Park residents were also isolated by the destruction of sections of Fish Creek Road and all nine crossings across Fish Creek. Damaged sewer lines dumped raw sewage down the creek and into the Big Thompson River. *In
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States: * Logan County, Arkansas * Logan County, Colorado * Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895) * Logan County, Illinois * Logan County, Kansas * Logan County ...
the
South Platte River The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwestern United States, Midwest and the American Sou ...
flooded, cresting at 11.2 feet. A No Flush Limited Water Use Order was in effect during the flood, and 73 miles of asphalt and dirt roads were damaged. *In Morgan County, the communities of Goodrich,
Orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...
, and Weldona were placed under an immediate evacuation order the morning of September 14. Floodwaters reached 13 feet high. * Weld County, in northeast Colorado, was flooded by the overflow of the
South Platte River The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwestern United States, Midwest and the American Sou ...
. Flooding in Weld County affected 3,000 homes, over 350 commercial properties, and 2,377 agricultural parcels. 122 bridges were damaged, and 654 lane-miles of road in Weld County were either damaged by flooding or under standing water. Portions of Greeley, the county seat, were under mandatory evacuation, and whole neighborhoods in Greeley and nearby Evans were submerged after days of flooding. The shutdown of a wastewater treatment facility in Evans put remaining residents on restrictions including not to flush their toilets, do laundry, or bathe.


Economic impact

Lower-lying agricultural land in northeast Colorado was affected as flood waters surged down rivers and creeks, inundating fields and pastures. Significant crop damage is expected from standing water that has no way to drain from fields. Hundreds of oil and gas wells were shut down in the
Denver Basin The Denver Basin, variously referred to as the Julesburg Basin, Denver-Julesburg Basin (after Julesburg, Colorado), or the D-J Basin, is a geology, geologic structural basin centered in eastern Colorado in the United States, but extending into sou ...
, many of which were under rushing water, and reports of broken lines and storage tanks swept away by the flood waters raised concerns of contamination. A spill from flood-damaged storage tanks in Milliken was reported September 18, which released of
crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...
into the South Platte River. The
IRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
announced that it would extend filing and payment deadlines for flood victims.


Hazardous impacts

Structures located in high risk flood zones were soon inundated. Sewage treatment plants affected by the flood waters released 20 million gallons of raw sewage as well as 150–270 million gallons of partially treated sewage, as estimated by the State health department. What resulted is higher levels of
E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' ( )Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escherichia'' that is commonly foun ...
, some as high as 472–911 colonies per millimeter of water (126 colonies per millimeter of water is considered unsafe). The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) reports that oil lines and containment facilities failed and leaked a total of 1,027 barrels (viz. 43,134 gallons) of oil. The COGCC is monitoring 13 substantial leaks as of October 8, 2013. The COGCC is also monitoring 17 substantial leaks of
produced water Produced water is a term used in the oil industry or geothermal industry to describe water that is produced as a byproduct during the extraction of oil and natural gas, or used as a medium for heat extraction. Water that is produced along with t ...
, or water that is used in the refinement of oil products and is considered waste water. The COGCC reports that 26,385 gallons of such water has leaked into flood waters. Over 50,000
fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure inje ...
wells – a mining process utilized in the extraction of oil form the Earth – operate in the state of Colorado and 1,900 fracking wells were flooded at the peak flood levels. This number has since been reduced to around 1,300 wells. Concerns have been raised about the safety of such wells in a flood situation. The produced water from these operations sit in open pits and easily mix with flood waters and deposit toxic substances like lead or other sediments across the state.


Ecological impacts

Scientific reports that show the ecological impacts of the flooding are not readily available because this is such a recent event. Past studies on the ecological impacts of flash flooding can give insight on what may happen. Temporal
succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...
has been studied in areas that experience flash flooding regularly. In these instances, typical biological processes characteristic to the area pre-flood resume within 2–3 weeks. The 2013 Colorado flooding is a more complex case because of the close contact with human society. Contamination from sewage, oil, and waste water containing toxic substances can delay natural succession processes if not alter them entirely. For example, waste water from flooded fracking wells could introduce levels of lead into a freshwater system, keeping a particular strain of
algae Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthesis, photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular ...
from developing in usual successional form. The hierarchy of development is now delayed or shifted into an entirely different direction. Pollution from the floodwaters could also affect species in ways not related to succession. For example, animals relying on natural freshwater systems as a source for water can contract fatal illnesses as a result of the higher levels of
E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' ( )Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escherichia'' that is commonly foun ...
bacteria in the water due to sewage leaks caused by the flooding.


Media response

Local media such as 9News,
7News Seven News (stylised 7NEWS) is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2021, the highest-rating in Australia. National bulletins are presented from Seven's high definition studios in South Eveleigh, Sydney, while its flags ...
, FOX 31 and more covered the event for its whole duration.


Relief


Federal aid

President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
first declared a state of emergency for Boulder, El Paso, and Larimer counties, with an additional 12 counties added September 16: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Fremont, Jefferson, Morgan, Logan, Pueblo, Washington and Weld counties. This authorized federal search and rescue teams, as well as supplies such as food, water, cots, generators, and emergency flood control measures. Obama also declared a major disaster specifically for Boulder County, which provides for federal recovery assistance such as temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans. On September 25, 2013, Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced the bill To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to obligate funds for emergency relief projects arising from damage caused by severe weather events in 2013 (H.R. 3174; 113th Congress). If passed, the bill would "exempt Colorado from a cap on funding, contained in Division A of Public Law 113-2 (The
Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Public Law 113-2 (), containing Division A: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 and Division B: Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 is a U.S. appropriations bill authorizing $60 billion for disaster relief agencies. The Budget Control A ...
), from the Federal Aid Highways Emergency Relief program of $100 million per emergency incident." When arguing in favor of the bill, Rep. Cory Gardner cited the statistics that the flood affected "two hundred mile-lanes of highway." The
shutdown Shutdown or shut down may refer to: * Government shutdowns * Shutdown (computing) * Shutdown (economics) * Shutdown (nuclear reactor) Arts and entertainment Music * "Shut Down" (The Beach Boys song), 1963 * '' Shut Down Volume 2'', a 1964 album ...
of the United States federal government from October 1–17, 2013 stopped federal relief aid funding going to recovery efforts in Colorado. The state of Colorado began paying the National Guard for continuing relief efforts until the
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
(FEMA) could reimburse the State government at the end of the shutdown. The state hopes to be reimbursed for at least 75% of the funds. The shutdown compromise signed on October 17, 2013, includes funding for Colorado relief efforts, specifically referencing Rep. Gardner's bill H.R. 3174; 113th Congress. The cap typically set at $100 million has been raised to $450 million in light of Colorado's current conditions. It is not uncommon for this cap to be raised for disaster struck areas such as those states hit by
Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...
or
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
.


Other aid

The
American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
,
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
,
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...
, the
United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...
, the Air Land Emergency Resource Team, Boulder Flood Relief, and Helping Pets are among the organizations accepting donations on behalf of flood victims.


Post-flood CDOT road projects

Following the floods, the
Colorado Department of Transportation The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT, pronounced See Dot) is the principal department of the government of Colorado, Colorado state government that administers state government responsibility for Transportation in Colorado, transport ...
(CDOT) initiated 200 permanent repair projects to roads. Due to the floods being a federal disaster, CDOT paid only 20% of the $750 million expenses, with five related to
Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is s ...
being entirely federally-funded. High traffic areas like US Highway 34 were a priority, with new infrastructure in its instance being built on dry lands. Early projects such as these were also hastened by Governor John Hickenlooper's 60-day goal for reopening certain areas. In May 2022, the completion of a project on Colorado State Highway 7 in St. Vrain Canyon marked the end of flood-related repairs.


See also

* Floods in the United States before 1901 * Floods in the United States: 1901–2000 * Floods in the United States: 2001–present *
2013 Alberta floods In the days leading up to June 19, 2013, parts of southern and central Alberta, Canada experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding described by the provincial government as the worst in History of Alberta, Alberta's history. ...
* 1976 Big Thompson Flood


References


External links


The Colorado Storm and Flood of 2013:
Includes photos, maps, graphs, and links, created by the NSF-supported Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory at the University of Colorado
Video of flooding at Estes Park

Colorado 2013 Flood Information Map
with locations of shelters, city and county government offices, and animal shelters
Crisiwiki: 2013 Colorado Floods
links to government, news, and aid agency sites
''Denver Post'': 2013 Colorado Floods

KMGH-TV in Denver: Flood Coverage


(
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
)
Satellite Images of the September 2013 Flood Event in Lyons, Colorado
(
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
)
State of Colorado website to assist flood survivors and victims with resources and information launched on October 15, 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colorado floods 2013 floods in the United States 2013 in Colorado History of Colorado Natural disasters in Colorado