Aurora Alert... A memorial service in remembrance of victims of the 1976 flash flood, is scheduled to be held this Sunday, July 31st at 6:00PM. The service will be held at the 25th Memorial Sight in the Big Thompson Canyon, one mile east of Drake on Hwy 34. On July 31, 1976, the Big Thompson Canyon was filled with residents and visitors. It was the Saturday of the weekend commemorating Colorado's Centennial and the last holiday weekend before the start of school. That night a flash flood ravaged the canyon, causing the worst natural disaster, in terms of documented lives lost in Colorado state history. The death toll of the 1921 flood in Pueblo may have been larger. However, estimates of lives lost in that flood range from 100 to 350. Heavy rain fell over a 70-square-mile area in the central portion of the Big Thompson watershed between 6:30 and 11:00pm. The most intense rainfall, between 12 and 14 inches, fell on slopes in the western end of the canyon. The flood washed out all stream and rain gages so accurate measurements were not possible. Yet, the impact of the flood could have been worse. The North Fork peak streamflow occurred approximately 40 minutes later than the Main Fork peak. If the two peaks had coincided, the peak streamflow would have been even greater than the 31,200 cubic feet per second recorded at the mouth of the canyon. At least one hundred thirty-nine people died in the flood, and eighty-eight people were injured. Seven people were listed as missing. The flood destroyed 316 homes, 45 mobile homes and 52 businesses. Seventy-three mobile homes suffered major damage. A situation similar to the Big Thompson Canyon Flood of 1976 is still very possible today, with the death toll and damages predicted to be much higher than 30 years ago. The best protection is good communication and a willingness to take proper safety measures when the situation warrants. More information on the 1976 flood, including a superb presentation by the Fort Collins Coloradoan, can be found via the links provided below:
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