What year was the big flood in Boulder?
Contents. The 1894 Boulder flood was a natural disaster that reshaped the landscape of Boulder County, wiping out some communities and forcing others to come together to rebuild. Like other extreme weather events, the 1894 deluge played an integral role in the development of the affected communities.
When was the big flood in Colorado?
Eight years ago this week, Colorado experienced one of its worst natural disasters when a week of rain flooded 20 counties, caused nearly $4 billion in damages, killed nine people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
What does it mean for this storm to be a 1000 year event?
(Hydrologists actually prefer the term “recurrence interval.”) A quantity of rain like what we saw from Florence, for example, is a 1,000-year event because it has a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.
When was the flood in Longmont CO?
From September 11-15, 2013, Longmont experienced the most devastating flash flood event in its history. Catastrophic flooding, especially along the St. Vrain Creek, displaced hundreds of residents, and destroyed personal property, businesses and public spaces.
How many people were killed in the Big Thompson flood?
On July 31, 1976, during the celebration of Colorado’s centennial, the Big Thompson Canyon was the site of a devastating flash flood that swept down the steep and narrow canyon, claiming the lives of 143 people, 5 of whom were never found.
What is a 50 year storm event?
Likewise, a 50-year rainfall event has a 1 in 50 or 2% chance of occurring in a year. In addition, each locality has its own criteria for how much rain must fall within 24 hours to classify as a particular rain event.
How long did the Big Thompson Canyon flood last?
The flooding occurred when a massive amount of rain fell in the Loveland area, most of which came down during a window of one to two hours. In total, it’s estimated that 12 inches of rain fell over the course of a roughly four-hour storm.
What Caused Big Thompson Canyon flood?
This flood was triggered by a nearly stationary 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.
What causes a 100-year flood?
Generally, streams with larger drainage areas require storms of longer duration for a significant increase in streamflow to occur. These and other factors determine whether or not a 100-year storm will produce a 100-year flood.
What is the probability that a 100-year flood will occur at least once in 100 years?
a one percent chance
The 100-year recurrence interval means that a flood of that magnitude has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year. In other words, the chances that a river will flow as high as the 100-year flood stage this year is 1 in 100.