Holy S#@! Just got back from Manitou Springs (a whole new meaning to "flash flood")

[pipoman]

I have been on the plains my whole life. To me "flash flood" means a quick flooding that may swamp some cars, businesses and houses. It never occurred to me that a flash flood in the crevice of a mountain meant a huge wall of water traveling at terminal velocity. We went into a little restaurant at 5pm and sat down for a 4 course fondue and wine pairing. We heard the rain, but we had been experiencing short rains for most of our trip. When we came out at 6:30 it wasn't immediately apparent that an unbelievable natural disaster had just occurred. As we walked back toward our hotel, The Cliff House, it became more apparent that somethig very bad had happened. A foot of mud on the sidewalk we had just came down a couple hours earlier was a clue.

As we got closer to our hotel the devastation was worse and worse to the point we didn't know if we were going to be able to get to the hotel without wading through deep mud. As we approached the back of the hotel, there were household appliances, beds, sofas, a bathtub, water heater, and several cars piled up. We valet parked and I became very anxious that out car had been totaled so we went to the little 2 floor parking garage. The cars in the lower level had mud over the bottom of the doors and had obviously had water over their tops. We didn't see our car so we went to the top level where we found our car none the worse for it. We were very lucky..not everyone was. People died, houses were destroyed, businesses devastated. It is sad.

By Sunday the town had come together and were/are well on the way to recovery...from this flood. Most shops were open and we spent money in some we otherwise wouldn't have to help in that way. The town faces several more years of this as it takes that long for the Waldo Canyon burn scar to recover from last years forest fire.

Really an unbelievable disaster. If you plan on traveling through Colorado Manitou is a must see..it is our favorite place to chill and we've been in most areas of the beautiful state.

[TwilightGardener]

1. I like Manitou Springs--it's about the only "soul" that the Colorado Springs metro area has.

[pipoman]

8. Yep..

when we vacation we like hanging with real people in a laid back environment...contrast Manitou Springs to Boulder..we hate the craziness of huge tourist traps..We did eat at the Broadmoor and we like to buy olive oil at Venice Olive Oil Co. in Colorado Springs..other than that we didn't spend any time in the springs..

[Cleita]

20. Yes, it was my favorite place in that area too.

That's so sad.

[beveeheart]

2. Thanks for your support, pipoman.

[DreamGypsy]

3. Wow. Friday's flash floods were Manitou Springs' worst disaster in decades

Must have been incredible to be there.

http://gazette.com/fridays-flash-floods-were-manitou-springs-worst-disaster-in-decades/article/1504673

Battered, bloodied and muddied, Manitou Springs on Saturday began to dig out of its worst disaster in decades.

Wielding shovels, water pumps, skid loaders and backhoes, Manitou Springs home and business owners took to recovering from a massive and deadly flash flood that hit Friday evening, leaving one man dead and two people reported missing.

The force of the four-foot wall of water, mud and debris that roared off the Waldo Canyon burn scar could be measured in the mess revealed at dawn Saturday: Six houses destroyed; 11 houses seriously damaged; 23 buildings with cosmetic damage; 40 cars towed off Manitou Springs streets and more off U.S. 24; broken gas, sewer and water lines, and at least 20 businesses that had to shut down at least temporarily.

Three people were reported injured Friday night, and a couple of volunteers were injured Saturday; none of the injuries were serious, officials said.

I haven't been to Manitou Springs in a long time...it's the start and finish of the Pikes Peak marathon which I ran in 1981. I remember a very lovely small town, a fantastic trail through forests up the mountain, and very supportive people.

Hope the disaster recovery continues apace.

Thanks for the post, pipoman.

[pipoman]

10. I doubt it has changed much since 81

aside from it being a modern version of what it was then, and then there is the recent changes in the law which has changed the whole feel of Colorado...especially places like Manitou..

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. wow. I only experience "real" weather when I leave California. It's hard to imagine

what mother nature can do until you see it in person.

* note, I exclude earthquakes from "weather"

[LuvNewcastle]

5. We stayed a night in Manitou Springs on a family vacation

25 years ago, and I loved it. I'm sorry to hear about the trouble there. Glad y'all are okay and I hope the people there recover soon.

[RebelOne]

6. We had flash flooding here in North Georgia in 2009.

Just about every county had floods. When I returned home from work, I could not get into my street because a creek had overflowed and the road was flooded. I could not get home. But fortunately, there is a motel within a mile's distance that was not affected, so that is where I spent the night. In the morning, I was able to find a back way into my street and get home. I couldn't find it the night before because it was dark and I am night blind.

Those floods come on so quickly that it is scary.

[pipoman]

12. The creek through town is usually

6" deep...it went to over 10 feet in less than 5 minutes..

[RebelOne]

17. This was Noonday Creek in Woodstock in Cherokee County.

And it rose quickly within a couple of hours.

[hobbit709]

7. I've seen flash floods in desert country where 30 ft of water comes and is gone in 15 minutes.

Anytime I was in a wash or canyon, I always looked to see how high the debris line was.

[DevonRex]

9. When we get a flash flood warning here, we pay attention:

http://history.denverlibrary.org/blog/content/photo-archive-friday-14

[kentuck]

11. Also...

My wife and I just drove up Hwy 24 and came back down at the southern part of Green Mtn Falls, thru Chipita Park and Cascade and took 2nd exit south into Manitou Springs. It was hit pretty hard and we just had another hard rain a few minutes ago, with hail, that passed over the burn scar thankfully.

[Cha]

13. Wow! I've heard about Flash Floods like that but never experienced.

You were so Lucky! thanks you for your experience, pipoman, it was riveting. Good for you..helping them out after the disaster!

I had to look it up.. I'm originally from Denver.

Friday's flash floods were Manitou Springs' worst disaster in decades

Battered, bloodied and muddied, Manitou Springs on Saturday began to dig out of its worst disaster in decades.

Wielding shovels, water pumps, skid loaders and backhoes, Manitou Springs home and business owners took to recovering from a massive and deadly flash flood that hit Friday evening, leaving one man dead and two people reported missing.

The force of the four-foot wall of water, mud and debris that roared off the Waldo Canyon burn scar could be measured in the mess revealed at dawn Saturday: Six houses destroyed; 11 houses seriously damaged; 23 buildings with cosmetic damage; 40 cars towed off Manitou Springs streets and more off U.S. 24; broken gas, sewer and water lines, and at least 20 businesses that had to shut down at least temporarily.

there's more..
http://gazette.com/fridays-flash-floods-were-manitou-springs-worst-disaster-in-decades/article/1504673

[pipoman]

19. Being a visitor in a place

at the moment of such great loss is bizarre and made me feel a bit guilty when we left early Saturday for Denver as planned. After Sunday brunch, we decided to go back to spend some money to ease my conscience...

[Egalitarian Thug]

14. Should have been there for this one.

http://www.koaa.com/news/wednesday-marks-anniversary-of-big-thompson-flood/

The Big Thompson and Fall rivers above Estes Park, they usually flood alternately, but every few decades they flood at the same time.

BTW, the front range is over due...

[pipoman]

15. The most dramatic difference I see

is that this rain was around 1.5 inches in 30 minutes. It looks like that disaster was the result of 12 inches at a rate of 8" in an hour. The results are similar though with the momentum of the water because of the fast elevation. It had just never occurred to me in the times I have been there, the effect of the elevation on a mountainside...or the 10 year residual effect of a forest fire..I always like learning, especially on vacation..

[kentuck]

16. It's almost like each tree on the mountainside...

was able to capture and absorb just enough water to keep it from rushing to the bottom. Each pine needle was in balance with nature. But the fire destroyed that balance and now, everytime it rains, folks are fearful of being flooded out. It is like the new normal.

[pipoman]

22. It makes sense to me

we have a burn pile on our little farm here..we burn branches and noxious weeds. When I want to put the fire out with a hose, the water doesn't absorb under the pile as it would anyplace else..in fact we had to put a little berm around it to keep the water from just running away from the burn area..

[malaise]

18. Heard an expert discussing this late last night

He said the fires last year destroyed all the trees and other vegetation hence after the heavy rain there was nothing there to prevent mud slides.
Frightening indeed - there is an urgent need to replant shrubs, grass and trees or that hillside will soon create as many problems as exist in Haiti.

[pipoman]

21. They said

it takes 10 years to get back to normal..now every cloud going over is a threat..

[malaise]

23. The trees will take five to ten years but they could

could plant grasses and shrubs which would reduce the threats.