Big Thompson Flood anniversary today

[SAnd]

Rest In Peace to the 144 people that died 36 years ago today.

[cofi]

crazy i hadnt heard of it....heres the wiki

On July 31, 1976, during the celebration of Colorado's centennial, the Big Thompson Canyon was the site of a devastating flash flood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_flood) that swept down the steep and narrow canyon, claiming the lives of 143 people, 5 of whom were never found. This flood was triggered by a nearly stationary thunderstorm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderstorm) near the upper section of the canyon that dumped 300 millimeters (12 inches) of rain in less than 4 hours (more than 3/4 of the average annual rainfall for the area). Little rain fell over the lower section of the canyon, where many of the victims were.
Around 9 p.m., a wall of water more than 6 meters (20 ft) high raced down the canyon at about 6 m/s (14 mph), destroying 400 cars, 418 houses and 52 businesses and washing out most of U.S. Route 34 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_34).[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Thompson_River#cite_note-4) This flood was more than 4 times as strong as any in the 112-year record available in 1976, with a discharge of 1,000 cubic meters per second (35,000 ft³/s).
In 2008, a man who was thought to have died in the flood was found to be alive and living in Oklahoma. Daryle Johnson and his family had rented a cabin east of Estes Park, but left without telling anyone on the morning of July 31. A woman who was researching the flood's victims discovered he was still alive.[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Thompson_River#cite_note-5)

[Larry Ashcraft]

I had an aunt and uncle caught in it. Scariest night of their life.

They decided it was time to abandon their vehicle and seek higher ground. The kids ahead of them decided to try and make it out. My aunt and uncle watched the kids wash away in the flood waters.

Aunt and uncle spent the night clinging to rocks on the canyon wall, listening to cars sliding by below.

Aunt Betty is still alive and lives in Johnstown.

Very scary time.

[SNAFU]

Too the awesome Sgt Purdy,and Officer Conley who gave their lives that others may live.


GODSPEED

http://www.acspp.net/Purdy

[Bowtie]

My wife's grandparents were both killed in the flood. Her dad was 18 and was still living with them, he was going to go up and meet them the next day. He doesn't handle this anniversary very well.