On September 12, 2013, CU students stepped in to help with relief efforts, including freshmen Austin Baker and Sam Baird. (Kai Casey/CU Independent)
One year later, members of a recovering community gathered at the Boulder History Museum to remember the historic 2013 floods that slammed the Front Range with more than 17 inches of rain — more than a typical year’s worth — within a couple of days.
The Boulder History Museum, soon to be the Museum of Boulder, has established a four-part sequence of speakers, as well as a powerful exhibit to “commemorate the one-year anniversary of the flood, and to really bring the community together to reflect and to share their stories,” said Nancy Geyer, chief executive officer of the Boulder History Museum.
The bittersweet presentation of objects, pictures, maps and videos arranged on damaged doors and fences made the events of last fall vividly real to all present. From a cracked bowling ball and a muddy damaged doll to a warped book and more, the exhibit induced a plethora of emotions.
An exhibit displaying toys and a photograph destroyed by the floods. Last September, some of the worst floods in recent history hit Boulder, destroying homes and businesses all along the Front Range. (Gray Bender/CU Independent)
Nezette Rydell, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Boulder and one of the featured speakers, said there are always four questions when people reflect on the flood: How did it happen and what was the meteorology behind it? Did we predict it? Has it happened before? And could it happen again?
Rydell’s witty explanation of the events of Sept. 9-17, 2013, answered each question from a unique meteorologist’s point of view.
How exactly did it happen? A cold front, as well as tropical moisture from the coast of Mexico, moved across — and eventually met in — Northeastern Colorado.
Did Nydell and her team predict the flood? Yes and no. Weather models had shown a wet period in Colorado 10 days prior, she said, and the forecast earlier that week predicted record heat followed by a cool-off period with rain. In a sense, the scientists did predict the storm, but it would have been impossible to foresee the damage and devastation that would soon unfold.
So, has it happened before? Yes, there have been floods in Colorado before. Rydell named a few, such as the floods of Big Thompson and the Fort Collins as well as the Denver floods.
And will it happen again? It’s statistically unlikely anything as bad as last year’s flood event will happen again anytime soon. But then again, nothing says it won’t.
Through the frightening and damaging disaster that scarred everyone affected came an overwhelming sense of community. Whether it was chills from the sound of a flood warning or the houses, communities and families who to this day still deal with the aftermath, one thing is clear: No one is alone with his or her memories.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rebecca Viale at rebecca.viale@colorado.edu.
