Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE THOUSAND-YEAR FLOOD
It came after a drought that followed the worst wildfire in Colorado history. On September 12, the Front Range
woke up to 9in of rain and more falling. Children were kept home for an unprecedented 'rain day.' Was it the
100-year flood Boulder had long been bracing for? It turned out to be much more.
The Boulder Creek went from running at 54 cubic feet per second to 5000 cfs. First the canyons flooded, des-
troying homes in their path. Inundations isolated mountain communities like Jamestown and the foothills town of
Lyons. Eight people died and thousands lost their homes.
The month's 17in of rainfall blasted September's usual 1.7in average. What happened is considered a
thousand-year flood, as there is only 0.1% probability of a disaster of this magnitude in any given year. It's now
being cited as the second-largest natural disaster in US history, after Hurricane Katrina. The affected area was
roughly the size of Connecticut. Losses were estimated at $2 billion.
Changing weather patterns mean a previously rare event - tropical moisture over the usually-dry Rockies -
precipitated the big flood. Researchers suspect it's part of a larger, long-term swing in weather patterns, which
may mean more extreme drought-flood cycles, and decidedly more attention on climate change.
Please note that some of the businesses and mountain access roads covered here may be closed or temporarily
shut down during the recovery.
Tours
FOOD TOUR
Local Table Tours
( 303-909-5747;
www.localtabletours.com
;
tours $25-70)
Go behind the scenes with one of these fun
downtown walking tours presenting a smattering of great local cuisine and inside know-
ledge on food and wine or coffee and pastries. The tour also tries to highlight locally
owned businesses with regional or sustainable food sources. The cocktail crawl is a hit.
Banjo Billy Tour Bus
( 720-938-8885;
www.banjobilly.com
;
adult/child $22/12)
These acclaimed and entertaining
90-minute bus tours, some undertaken by the garrulous tour founder himself, mine city
history for quirky tidbits and little-known incidents. Tours depart from downtown. Tickets
are available online.
TOUR
