Portrait of a historic deluge in Colorado
Forecasters saw it coming — a large, wet mass of air making its way to Colorado.
But on Sept. 9, a Monday, it was hard to believe the big storm would bring anything but cool drizzle to Colorado. By Wednesday, the air mass was rapidly becoming a statewide deluge that within hours would sweep away roads, people and homes along the Front Range. What had started as a meteorological oddity had become something deadly, something historic.
Fort Collins, a city accustomed to flash floods, went about its normal business in a Wednesday morning drizzle. Residents might have been blissfully unaware, but local forecasters had already flagged the storm sitting over Larimer County as something unusual, containing almost unbelievable amounts of water. If the storm hit the Front Range, it would be bigger than the worst Colorado floods, covering more ground than the Big Thompson Flood of 1976 and the floods of 1965.
On Wednesday morning, a storm that big was just hard to believe.
Twelve hours later, the unbelievable happened: Walls of water washed through Colorado’s foothills, disintegrating bridges and roads, marooning mountain residents and killing at least four people.
“This is worse than Big Thompson, and I never thought I’d say that,” said Erick Nielsson, the emergency manager for Larimer County. Nielsson was an EMT in 1976 when the Big Thompson River flood killed 143 people in Larimer County.
The Big Thompson River thunders through the west edge of the Big Thompson Canyon creating a large waterfall. / Rich Abrahamson/The Coloradoan
Brian Guse, center, and Matt Bruce, right, clear mud and debris from the street that was flooded in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
John Vogl talks on the phone while surveying floodwaters with his wife Miracle near Firestone, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Floodwaters stand next to a home near Firestone, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Meg Faygen walks along a washed out Topaz Drive in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken) NO SALES
Noe Sura, 7, right, and her brother Eli, 7, play in the mud clogged ground around their home after days of flooding, on the southern edge of Boulder, Colo., Saturday Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
National Guard troops are stationed at S. Main Street and Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in Longmont, Colo. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
People try to enter a business on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in Longmont, Colo. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
Liz Friedenson, left, and her daughter, Rachel, both of Colorado Friendship, Colo., sort clothes that are available to flood victims in on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 in Longmont. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
Mike McDaniels shovels out mud from the basement of a friend’s house in Longmont Colo., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
Gabe Anderson, left, Mark Swanson, top, Stefani Anderson, and Savana Anderson, work to clean the mud out of their yard on in Longmont, Colo., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
Lonnie Dooley helps a neighbor clear belongings from their home which was flooded in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Residents clear mud and debris from the street that was flooded in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Stefanie Coltrain, 46, takes a picture of the St. Vrain River which has over flown its banks near Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Water from the Big Thompson River washes through a wide landscape south of County Road 20E in Johnstown Friday, September 13, 2013. (Photo by Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)
Part of the childrens pool at Kanemoto Park is swept away from the flooding of Lefthand Creek in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
Flood evacuees hug at a drop off point for those rescued after days of flooding, at a high school in Niwot, Colo., Saturday Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Ground crew members assist a woman rescued from one the mountain towns from a National Guard helicopter at Boulder Municipal Airport in Boulder, Colorado September 14, 2013. Many small mountain towns are cut off from road access and people can only be brought out by air. BOULDER DAILY CAMERA/ Mark Leffingwell
Railroad tracks running North and South at 9th Street, East of Airport Road, continue to be flooded in Longmont, Colo, on Saturday Sept. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick )
Rose Marie Rempel holds an old photo album that has water damage from the flooding on Sept. 14, 2013. She lives in the Champion neighborhood in Longmont, Colo. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick )
Brian Winn, rear left, Mitch Machmuller, rear center, Eric Machmuller, front center, and Pat Machmuller, right, steer a boat down a residential street to help residents gather pets and belongings from their flooded homes in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Eric Machmuller, front left, Brian Winn, rear left, Mitch Machmuller, rear right, and Pat Machmuller, front right, steer a boat down a residential street to help residents gather pets and belongings from their flooded homes in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
A muddy U.S. flag stands in front of flooded homes in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Kathy Bell, 58, walks through a stream running through a neighbor’s yard to get possessions from her home in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Farm buildings stand in fields submerged by flooding along the South Platte River in Weld County, Colo., near Greeley, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. The days-long rush of water from higher ground turned parts of Colorado’s expansive eastern plains into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/John Wark)
A boat carrying residents back to their homes to gather pets and belongings goes past a muddy U.S. flag in a residential neighborhood in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
People stand at the edge of a highway washed out by flooding along the South Platte River in Weld County, Colorado near Greeley, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Hundreds of roads in the area have been damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters that have affected parts of a 4,500-square-mile area. (AP Photo/John Wark)
A group of trailers are smashed together at a storage site near Greeley, Colo., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, as debris-filled rivers flooded into towns and farms miles from the Rockies. Hundreds of roads, farms and businesses in the area have been damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters. (AP Photo/John Wark)
A tractors sits partially submerged in a farm field after flooding along the South Platte River in Weld County, Colorado near Greeley, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. The days-long rush of water from higher ground turned parts of Colorado’s expansive eastern plains into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/John Wark)
A boy walks past a flooded home in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
A car is surrounded floodwaters in front of a home in Longmont, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013. Floodwaters have affected a 4,500 square-mile section of the state. National Guard helicopters have been evacuating residents from the hardest hit communities. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, center, speaks to members of the media, alongside Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., left, and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., after touring flood-damaged areas by army helicopter, at Boulder Municipal Airport, Colo., Saturday Sept. 14, 2013. By air and by land, the rescue of hundreds of Coloradoans stranded by epic mountain flooding was accelerating as food and water supplies ran low, while thousands more were driven from their homes on the plains as debris-filled rivers became muddy seas inundating towns and farms miles from the Rockies. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
From left to right Steve Gabel and Patrick Muir move a soaked couch out from Muir’s apartment on 7th Street on University Hill in Boulder on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken)
Julie Hauser works to shore up a handmade diversion dam on 7th Street on University Hill in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday Sept, 14, 2013. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken)
Evan Russack with his son Trevor, 6, look over Pennsylvania Ave on University Hill which was cut in two by flooding Saturday Sept, 14, 2013. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken)
Jon Tarkington with his daughter Evy, 1, look over a diversion dam built in the intersection of 7th Street and University Ave on University Hill in Boulder, Colo., Saturday Sept, 14, 2013. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken)
Water flows through an evacuated neighborhood after days of flooding in Hygeine, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. After somewhat abating for two days, rain returned to Colorado Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Water flows through an evacuated neighborhood after days of flooding in Hygeine, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. After somewhat abating for two days, rain returned to Colorado Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Water flows through an evacuated neighborhood after days of flooding in Hygeine, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. After somewhat abating for two days, rain returned to Colorado Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Water flows through an evacuated neighborhood after days of flooding in Hygeine, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. After somewhat abating for two days, rain returned to Colorado Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
A local woman walks in an evacuated neighborhood where many homes are inundated with water from overflowing canals after days of flash floods and intense rain, in Hygeine, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. After somewhat abating for two days, rain returned to Colorado Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
As heavy rains return after somewhat abating for two days, a field fills with water from overflowing creeks nearby, outside Longmont, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
As heavy rains return after somewhat abating for two days, a farm fills with water from overflowing creeks nearby, outside Longmont, Colo., Sunday Sept. 15, 2013. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
This Sept. 14, 2013, photo shows the South Platte River overflowing and severely flooding a home west of Kersey, Colo. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/The Greeley Tribune, Joshua Polson)
This Sept. 14, 2013, photo shows a small group of people investigating the road damage that destroyed U.S 34 between Kersey, Colo., and Greeley in Colo. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/The Greeley Tribune, Joshua Polson)
This Sept. 14, 2013, photo shows homes in the Eastwood Village Mobile Home Park are partially submerged by the flood waters in Evans, Colo. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/The Greeley Tribune, Joshua Polson)
Coffee shop owner Amy Hamrick poses in her shop Sunday Sept. 15, 2013 in Estes Park, Colo. Hamrick worked to clear inventory and clean up mud and water that swamped the town’s main street when the Big Thompson River surged through Estes Park late Thursday and early Friday. (AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)
A truck sits at the intersection of Siferd street and Date street in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura,The Gazette)
Crews work along North Powers Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura/The Gazette)
A police officer runs across the intersection as traffic was rerouted due to flooding at Barnes Rd. and North Powers Blvd. in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura, The Gazette)
Cars drive through puddles along North Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura/The Gazette)
Cars drive through puddles along North Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura/The Gazette)
A drainage ditch in Manitou Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura/The Gazette)
A construction crew works at moving dirt and debris from underneath Highway 24, where Manitou Avenue was flooded in Manitou Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura, The Gazette)
A construction crew works at moving dirt and debris from underneath Highway 24, where Manitou Avenue was flooded in Manitou Springs, Colorado on Sunday, September 15, 2013. (Kent Nishimura, The Gazette)
Mud from flooding is shown covering the main street Sunday Sept. 15, 2013 in Estes Prk, Colo., after water and debris swamped the town when the Big Thompson River surged through Estes Park late Thursday and early Friday. In Estes Park, some 20 miles from Lyons, hundreds of homes and cabins were empty in the town that is a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. High water still covered several low-lying streets. Where the river had receded, it had left behind up to a foot of mud. (AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)
Loaders scrape up mud Sunday Sept. 15, 2013, from the flooding that swept through Estes Park, Colo., that swamped the town’s main street when the Big Thompson River surged through Estes Park late Thursday and early Friday. (AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)
Johnny Heginbootom looks out across his backyard, where a 10-foot fence is partially submerged on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Laporte, Colo. Heginbootom rents the home and on Sunday he and the home owners were working on pumping out water and removing soaked flooring. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/The Coloradoan, Dawn Madura)
A garden fills with water as the nearby Mitchell Creek floods over roads and across properties on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Bellvue, Colo. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/The Coloradoan, Dawn Madura)
Volunteer, Ella Kuhlman, 5, helps sort donations at the evacuation shelter staged at Timberline Church in Fort Collins, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/The Coloradoan, Dawn Madura)
Robert Frawley, of Burggraf Disaster Restoration, carries destroyed belongings out of a flooded home on Iris Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 Boulder, Colo. Four people have been confirmed dead since the harrowing floods began Wednesday. And hundreds of others have not been heard from in the flood zone, which has grown to cover an area covering nearly 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
Granger Banks and Suzie Banks walk between discarded and drying household items from a damaged house on Upland Ave in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. Rain fell heavily Sunday, increasing fears of more flooding in the community. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken) NO SALES
A mudslide along the side of the highway leading into the mountain town of Estes Park, Colo., is shown Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. Estes Park town administrator Frank Lancaster said visitors who would normally flock there during the golden September days should stay away for at least a month, but it could take a year or longer for many of the mountain roadways to be repaired.(AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)
Damaged property from the flood sit in a driveway on 9th Street on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Boulder, Colo. Colorado emergency management officials have released an initial estimate that says the ongoing flooding has damaged or destroyed nearly 19,000 homes. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management estimated Sunday on its website that 17,494 homes have been damaged and 1,502 destroyed. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
A pile of flooded belongings sits in a driveway on Iris Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Boulder, Colo. Colorado emergency management officials have released an initial estimate that says the ongoing flooding has damaged or destroyed nearly 19,000 homes. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management estimated Sunday on its website that 17,494 homes have been damaged and 1,502 destroyed. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
Piles of destroyed property sit outside an apartment complex on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Boulder, Colo. Colorado emergency management officials have released an initial estimate that says the ongoing flooding has damaged or destroyed nearly 19,000 homes. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management estimated Sunday on its website that 17,494 homes have been damaged and 1,502 destroyed. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
Colleen Keane looks through a pile of destroyed belongings on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Boulder, Colo. Colorado emergency management officials have released an initial estimate that says the ongoing flooding has damaged or destroyed nearly 19,000 homes. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management estimated Sunday on its website that 17,494 homes have been damaged and 1,502 destroyed. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
Piles of flood destroyed belongings are loaded into a trailer to be taken to the dump on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
Colleen Keane, at right, works with Burggraf Disaster Restoration worker Robert Frawley to sift through muddy water that flooded her basement on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 on Iris Avenue in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso)
Dan Feldheim, left, Scott Hoffenberg, center, and John Smart, pass sandbags as residents reinforce the dam on University Hill in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken) NO SALES
Tim Eggert, left, carries a sandbag as Scott Hoffenberg, center, directs him while residents reinforce a berm at University Hill in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Paul Aiken) NO SALES
A tractor is bogged down in mud and water from flooding on the South Platte River on a farm near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. Heavy rains continued on Sunday. Broad swaths of farmland have become lakes, as the raging South Platte and Poudre rivers surround more homes.(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Dean Beacom works to save his home from a flash flood near 19th Street and Upland Avenue, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Boulder, Colo. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Jeremy Papasso) NO SALES
A farm house is surrounded by water from flooding on the South Platte River near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. Heavy rains continued on Sunday. Broad swaths of farmland have become lakes, as the raging South Platte and Poudre rivers surround more homes.(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
A woman walks with her two boys on a day of more heavy rains, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Longmont, Colo. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Cortney Perez of Lyons, Colo., pets her dog, while one of her birds rests on her shoulder at the LifeBridge Church in Longmont, Colo., on September 15, 2013. The church provides food and shelter for families and pets. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
A woman and little girl rush into LifeBridge Church to escape the new rain in Longmont, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Cliff Grassmick) NO SALES
A building housing farm equipment is underwater from flooding on the South Platte River on a farm near Greeley, Colo., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. Heavy rains continued on Sunday. Broad swaths of farmland have become lakes, as the raging South Platte and Poudre rivers flood the area. AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
A man rides his bike on a day of heavy rains, which returned after somewhat abating for two days, in Longmont, Colo., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. The National Weather Service says up to 2 inches of rain could fall Sunday, creating a risk of more flooding and mudslides. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Vehicles plow through the water on Santa Rosa and Chelton Rd. just before it was closed down. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)
A truck plows through the water near Circle Dr. on Sunday afternoon. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)
(The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)
Sand Creek looked more like a raging river on Sunday afternoon. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)
A rock wall came down along Beckers Lane in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)
Crews work to get an intersection open on Manitou Blvd. at Hwy. 24 on Sunday afternoon after multiple rainstorms deluged many streets in the Colorado Springs area on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)
This photo taken on Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, shows cleanup of damage from flooding underway in Lyons, Colo. Access to the small mountain town was cut off after bridges were destroyed by flash flooding. Days of rain and floods have transformed the outdoorsy mountain communities in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain foothills from a paradise for backpackers and nature lovers into a disaster area with little in the way of supplies or services. Roadways have crumbled, scenic bridges are destroyed, and most shops are closed.(AP Photo/Kenneth Wajda)
This photo taken on Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, shows National Guardsmen loading a woman into a truck to be evacuated from Lyons, Colo. Access to the small mountain town was cut off after bridges were destroyed by flash flooding. Days of rain and floods have transformed the outdoorsy mountain communities in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain foothills from a paradise for backpackers and nature lovers into a disaster area with little in the way of supplies or services. Roadways have crumbled, scenic bridges are destroyed, and most shops are closed.(AP Photo/Kenneth Wajda)