The 2013 Colorado Floods and the City of Boulder's Response
In September 2013 communities in Colorado's Front Range experienced a historic rainfall event in which nearly a year's worth of precipitation fell over a five-day period. The resulting floods took eight lives and caused property and infrastructure damage over many hundreds of square miles. Flooding was so severe and extensive that many areas were isolated by the flood waters, and several communities had to be totally evacuated. Numerous landslides caused additional damage, particularly in areas that had recently experienced wildfires such as the Four Mile Canyon. Much of the flooding occurred outside mapped flood plains, as small streams, ditches, and culverts were inundated. The city of Boulder was among many communities that experienced heavy flooding and major property damage. Panelists in this session will describe the rainfall and flood event; discuss how Boulder coped with the flood disaster and how the city is planning for recovery; and provide information on lessons learned from the perspective of flood plain and storm water management.
