25% of Colorado has been affected by the week of
raining that began Monday,September 9 and continued through
Sunday, September 15. With nonstop rain for 7 days, and then 2 more
days of rain early the following week the state ended up dealing with
major floods that impacted the Northwestern and Northeastern part
of Colorado.The Boulder area was one of those areas severely affected.
The LDS Boulder Colorado Stake stepped in to help members
immediately as well as their neighbors. Full time missionaries
have been working long hours of service as well. Our leaders have
been coordinating our efforts under the direction of FEMA.
Dumpster sitting, shoveling mud, dry vaccing water,
pulling up wet carpet are just some of the things
needing to be done. It has been a devastating flood with so
many homes damaged and so many destroyed. Farmlands with
their crops are lost and so many roads have been washed away.
It truly has been a horrific disaster!
This is the frontage road along Dillon road.
The national TV media as well as U.S. Today
used a photo and scenes from a rescue that
happened when this road washed out.
The story is also in the Broomfield Enterprise.
A man was so severely hurt that he has had
neck and back surgery.
The main Dillon road in where you see the yellow truck
on the left of the photo.
This is looking east away from the washed out road
toward 287. You can just make out the bridge under
the street lights. This is 287 we take to and from the
stake center.
This is looking back east the damaged frontage road is
on the right of the pole and the main road is to the left.
I drove home on the main Dillon road and stopped
to take a photo of the frontage road down below.
Sunday, the 22nd Dad and I did Dumpster Duty.
Basically FEMA has to have people manning the
dumpsters so hazardous waste does not get placed
in these big bins or it costs them thousands of dollars
to clean up things that should not be in them.
This man made four trips to the dumpster the afternoon
we were there.
Besides another large pickup this one made
two visits of it's own full of wood and trash
and drywall.
On the way home that day we were driving next
to the Colorado National Guard that was called
in to help with rescuing people from homes they
were stranded in. Even a group of middle school
children were brought down from the mountains
by a Chinook helicopter!
Thursday, the 26th, I was once again up in Boulder
helping out. Another sister and I drove around to
check dumpster and see if they were full and help
people load trash into them. Our first stop was by
this home that sits by a river. The basement is open
where water just went straight through it.
These are trees that have been piled up here that
were caught in the water.
The river by this home began making a new path
because of all the debris blocking the normal flow.
A water diversion had to be created or this home
would have been surrounded by water and probably
become somewhat collapsed.
The photos are not super clear but as we drove around
I tried to take a few to show were bridges and
other places were affected.
You can see the dried debris caught in the bridge railings.
Part of the collapsed bridge.
This neighborhood is still wet and muddy over two
weeks later. There are bobcats everywhere clearing
mud out of peoples yards.
Another river area with downed trees in it.
The water has a terrible stench to it, probably lots
of ecoli accumulated in it. They say not to touch
any of the water running freely.
