Estimated Damages from the 2013 Flood
Lyons The aftermath of this historic flood had Lyons divided into six separate islands, over 200 homes damaged or destroyed, no water, waste water, electric, gas or communication lines, and an initial cost-estimate of over $50 million in damages. Statewide Authorities evacuated more than 18,000 people, the largest evacuation effort since Hurricane Katrina. Over 28,000… More Estimated Damages from the 2013 Flood
How did the weather forecast models do?
Concerning timing, location and magnitude of heavy rainfall, the weather forecast models varied widely in their predictions and missed the mark. Encouragingly, the Short Range Ensemble Forecast or SREF model predicted up to 8 inches of rain, but it’s timing was early. Even so, the models identified an impending wetter than normal weather pattern more… More How did the weather forecast models do?
The Meteorology behind the Flood
The rains that occurred during the week of September 9th through the 16th, 2013 were different than what we typically see in Colorado. The event was caused by a block in the jet stream that held a low-pressure cell over the Great Basin and a highpressure cell over the Midwest stationary over the course of… More The Meteorology behind the Flood
The Flood
Unusual characteristics associated with the rain event that caused the 2013 flood triggered the rivers to behave differently than what is typically observed in Colorado floods, leading to massive erosion that reshaped and redirected stream channels and also catastrophic failure of debris dams that exacerbated peak discharges. Unlike previous known flash floods in Colorado where… More The Flood
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