Boulder Flooding; I Left NH for This?

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Edge

Trad climber
Boulder, CO
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 12, 2013 - 01:34pm PT
I hope everyones OK out there in my new home town.

We woke up this morning in our apartment in Boulder Heights to find the entire living room rug covered in water. Luckily we just moved in on the 1st and our belongings haven't arrived yet (supposed to be tomorrow but we rescheduled.) I had to take a ladder to clean out the clogged gutters that were overflowing on the uphill side of the house and dig some diversion trenches, which has slowed the water seeping in. We're using a wet vac now to soak up water from the rug and mechanical room, about 120 gallons so far.

Lee Hill Road was closed during the night, and I'm not sure there is anyway for us to leave barring an emergency evac. As for now, we have food and water to last a couple of days. After that I may have to pepper spray a passing mule deer and club him with a hammer while he's rubbing his eyes.
maldaly

Trad climber
Boulder, CO
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:03pm PT
Reports are out that the Longmont Dam at Buttonrock preserve blew. That's the dam right above the River Wall which has Pocket Hercules, Red Neck Hero and Neurosurgeon on it. Lyons is flooded and it's raining here in Alaska.
John M

climber
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:20pm PT
3 people have died so far in flash floods.

http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-flooding-leaves-3-people-dead-155100224.html


this is a video of a rescue out of a partially submerged vehicle.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/dramatic-rescue-flash-floods-submerge-colo-driver-150650172--abc-news-topstories.html?vp=1

Same video on youtube..

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Sonic

Trad climber
Boulder, Co
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:20pm PT
Two deaths last night. Everyone I know has some sort of flooding.

Went to the hardware store this morning and they were sold out of shopvacs...

I have about 1-2 inches of water in my basement
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:29pm PT
Major flooding, 8 inches rain overnight ..rain continuing and expected for at least another day.

5 dams overtopped

Live streaming news.

http://kdvr.com/on-air/live-streaming/

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/live
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:37pm PT
Friend of mine in Erie has a tiny dried up creek behind his neighborhood, looks like the Mekong River now.
dirt claud

Social climber
san diego,ca
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:40pm PT
Damned, that's crazy!! Good luck out there fellas. Hope all works out and that you have seen the worst of it.
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:41pm PT
"Never get out of the boat"
adatesman

climber
philadelphia, pa
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:45pm PT
Damn!

Anyone know who SE Boulder is fairing, specifically around Baseline&Inca Drive? Great uncle is out that way and hasn't returned calls checking in on him. Not that we're worried, but rather thinking someone local might have a better view of things than we're getting in news reports here in PA.
John M

climber
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:55pm PT
Now they are saying 12 inches of rain in some of the canyons. Whoa.. with more on the way.
Roots

Mountain climber
SoCal
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:58pm PT
Wow! Best of luck CO.
Snowmassguy

Trad climber
Calirado
Sep 12, 2013 - 02:59pm PT
Apparently it could be much worse. A true 100 year flood in Boulder will wreak havoc upon the town. Not if....when.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:20pm PT
I'm stuck in Lyons right now. Bridges and roads are out on either side.

This is about a two minute walk from where I am right now.

Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:23pm PT
Once in a lifetime photo op Mark, Lyons normally looks like a desert.
Sonic

Trad climber
Boulder, Co
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:25pm PT
I can check on your uncle if you want. I live in SW Boulder. I know baseline is very flooded.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:27pm PT
That little thing was a nice creek we rode our bikes along a week ago. I have other photos and videos but it seems almost prurient to post them.
adatesman

climber
philadelphia, pa
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:40pm PT
I can check on your uncle if you want. I live in SW Boulder. I know baseline is very flooded.

Thanks so much, Sonic. Just spoke with my father-in-law (his uncle) and apparently he's been watching the traffic cameras while waiting for a call back. Apparently the traffic cameras make 36&Baseline look not so bad (I didn't have the address, so ballparked it as Inca&Baseline from memory of a visit 4 or 5 years ago). Knowing that I suspect it's more an issue with telco equipment being down than there actually being a problem. Not knowing my FiL had contact info for the G-uncle's caregivers (he's in his late 70's and not good health) I figured it prudent to reach out to see if someone local could give a better idea if the flooding extended down that way.

Thanks again!
Sonic

Trad climber
Boulder, Co
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:50pm PT
okay! good to hear. Just PM me if things change.
errett

Social climber
Grumpy Ridge
Sep 12, 2013 - 03:59pm PT
We got a call @7:00 this AM to prepare to evacuate our house and got the evacuation call @11:00. Sitting in an internet cafe in Estes which is currently our only access to the outside world since cell phone service is down in town also.
I took some awesome photos of the Big Thompson River while driving up the canyon but cant post them right now. I will try to later. We don't know how long we will be homeless.
Our house is in no immediate danger but that could change if the rain doesn't slow or stop. Some homes are already awash. Highway 34 is washed out in at least 2 places and highway 36 is also. I heard the town of Lyons is isolated from road washouts but don't know the latest info.
Edge

Trad climber
Boulder, CO
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 12, 2013 - 04:24pm PT
Glad you are safe, Errett.

The rain has subsided here west of Boulder (about 7200'). The water diversions my upstairs neighbor and I did this morning seems to have worked, and the water has stopped entering the house on our level. Back east, the landscaping would have included swales and slopes to carry the water around, but here it seems like that was never a concern.

I managed to get a fire going in the fireplace with some wet wood, and it's lowering the humidity and already drying out the rug we shop vacced four times. I suspect that the landlord is going to have to replaced the whole damned thing.

Sending out positive vibes for safety to everyone in the affected areas.
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