Saturday, September 14, 2013
Waiting for next rain to come
Boulder and its neighbors are now trying to clean up and clear away the debris and other devastation left from the major flooding. Although it has not rained yesterday or (yet) today, it is definitely threatening to do so and there is real concern that--since the ground is now saturated--the excess water will bring more floods. The above picture illustrates the plight of many, including those whose homes and lives have been spared. Many people are still unaccounted for. Many who evacuated still cannot return to their homes. To say that this event was Biblical is an understatement. There is general agreement that nothing of this magnitude has ever occurred in this area before.
We have been told by the authorities that it will take a lot of time to repair all the infrastructure that has been damaged--bridges and roads collapsed, canyon walls now unstable, structures no longer safe.
I am still quite safe (if there is such a thing). I remain "high and dry" in my upstairs (3rd floor apartment) and like everyone else, follow the news constantly.
When I first moved back to Boulder in 2009, a friend told me that the downtown of the city was located on a "flood plain" and that this plain included the location of my apartment building. The idea of a major flood seemed extremely remote at that time, so I
simply brushed aside her warning. I see now that she knew whereof she spoke.
