Torrential flooding in Colorado reached nightmare proportions on Sunday as more than 1,000 people were left missing and nearly 20,000 homes were damaged by storms that dumped a year’s worth of rain in just days.
Six flood-related deaths have been reported as rescuers struggle to free trapped victims from the deluge that inundated towns along the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park near Boulder.
“We are all crossing our fingers and praying,” said Frank Lancaster, the town administrator of Estes Park, Colo., where numerous residents had been left trapped Sunday.
Sheriff Justin Smith choked up as he described rescue efforts in nearby Larimer County, where as many as 1,000 people had to be airlifted to safety.
“They’re doing it,” Smith said. “People are getting those things done out there.”
In Boulder County, rescuers saved 85 children and 14 adults who were stranded by the raging waters in a school near Jamestown. They were plucked by helicopter and delivered safely to Boulder Municipal Airport.
“I knew that they were in good hands,” one mother, Paige Kirkman, told The Denver Post. “Plus, the kids got a helicopter ride.”
Officials said on Sunday that 1,253 people were still missing, although they suspected that most of them have been simply unable to contact loved ones and will be found safe.
“We don’t expect to find 1,000 fatalities,” said Micki Trost, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The flooding began five days ago as heavy rains pounded the area. The rains have only stopped intermittently since.
About 1,500 homes have been destroyed by the mud-choked waters and about 17,500 have been damaged, according to an initial estimate released by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.
The waters have also driven 11,700 people out of their homes. By Sunday, at least 1,750 people and 300 pets had been rescued.
Despite those successes, the waters continued to flow out of control and officials feared the worst.
“We’re still bracing,” Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told CNN on Sunday. “I mean, there are many, many homes that have been destroyed.”
Even when the rains briefly stopped on Sunday, rescuers had a tough time taking advantage of the storm break as fog blanketed the ground and grounded helicopters around Boulder County.
“There’s a heavy, heavy fog,” said Andrew Barth, a spokesman for Boulder County Emergency Management. “Standing water is rising because the ground is saturated.”
The floods also washed out many mountain roads, or made the passages simply too dangerous for rescue vehicles.
President Obama declared the floods a major disaster on Saturday and Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was expected to tour devastated areas on Monday.
Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum said it was heartbreaking to see the damage in his city and neighboring towns
“Places that I’ve known and loved for 30 years are gone,” Appelbaum said.
The town of Lyons, a well-traveled gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park, became a prime staging area for regional relief efforts.
Tourists’ cars that normally line streets outside the park gave way to emergency vehicles and military supply trucks, delivering 65,000 liters of water and 22,000 meals from FEMA.
Lyons and the popular surrounding mountain destinations are affectionately known as “The Gore-tex Vortex.”
Chris Rodes certainly had those visions of beautiful Rocky Mountains and scenic villages when he moved to Lyons earlier this year.
“It’s not the same,” said Rodes, who is now considering a move away from the storm-devastated Rocky Mountain paradise. “All these beautiful places, it’s just brown mud.”
About 20 miles away in Estes Park, the town’s major landmark is the Estes Ark — a three-story former toy store built to resemble Noah’s Ark.
“I don’t know if it’s open anymore, but soon it’s going to be our only way out,” joked resident Carly Blankfein.
Another landmark of Estes Park — the sprawling Stanley Hotel, inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining” — was OK, for now. Tourists even showed up to take part in the resort’s ghost tours.
“They said they came because they had nothing to do,” said hotel clerk Renee Maher.
The rain is supposed to let up by Monday morning, with the crazy weather expected to turn into 80-degree sunshine Tuesday and Wednesday.
The University of Colorado, which postponed its Saturday football game, was tentatively planning to reopen campus for classes on Monday.
Locals hope the cleanup and reconstruction can get going immediately before ski-loving tourists decide where they want to visit this winter.
“At least it’s the slow season, so we have some time to rebuild,” Lyons resident Kevin Cray said.
“There’s going to be cleanup for a long time. Folks are going to have to come together.”