Discussion
  • Read More
    KumquatRodeoMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 10:27am

    We were trying to ride it out here in our flooded house in Boulder. But we just heard the waste water pipeline broke into Boulder Creek. Possible lack of potable water means we're getting out of town while we can (and while the roads out have been reopened for a while).

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      TwoMoreCutsKumquatRodeo
      9/14/13 10:29am

      Wow, good luck. Stay safe.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      Graby SauceKumquatRodeo
      9/14/13 10:30am

      Glad you got out! It sucks being displaced, but it would certainly suck worse having no water.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    RoboBadgerMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 10:50am

    "President Obama has sent the largest FEMA deployment ever to the state of Colorado..."

    It's unfortunate that it takes an event like this for Obama to start paying attention to any country other than Syria these days.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Graby SauceRoboBadger
      9/14/13 10:52am

      Oh, is this another one of those, "THANKS OBAMA!" things? I hope so, because otherwise you'd sound unhinged trying to blame Obama.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      MuscatoGraby Sauce
      9/14/13 10:57am

      I think he's hoping to deflect attention from the fact that when there's an emergency, FEMA's there, which should of course not have to happen in a boot-strappin', self-reliant world. Damn feds, swooping in and saving lives and property...

      Living overseas, we got used to the expatriate variety, who had gotten out of the U.S. 'cause GUBMINT BAD, but who would hightail it to the embassy when they had a hangnail...

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    cheerful_exgirlfriendMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 3:47pm

    Just wanna point out this awesome letter carrier!

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      VirilityUntoTheecheerful_exgirlfriend
      9/14/13 3:54pm

      That seems a bit irresponsible of the USPS to me but I don't know the exact location.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      cheerful_exgirlfriendVirilityUntoThee
      9/14/13 3:55pm

      I don't either, it's an AP photo that was in our paper today.

      I think it's nice, but I agree they should be careful, the mail isn't that important.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    Graby SauceMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 10:25am

    I don't know anything about this area, but if it is mountainous and rural, residents and their rescuers may have a very difficult time. Roads washed out, trees down, landslides, bridge footings undermined, stormwater, water, and sewer systems damaged. It could be weeks before roads are passable and people are able to get in or out. The worst case scenarios are for those living in substandard housing like mobile homes, campers, or tents— they might be washed down the mountain without anyone knowing to look for them until their bodies show up downstream.

    This is Graby Sauce leaving you with comforting thoughts for your Saturday morning.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      kumfinemyyGraby Sauce
      9/14/13 10:35am

      That's what happened to us during storm sandy in the Catskills area of NY. Roads and bridges were washed out. One good thing that happened, we now have met all our Republican neighbors.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      TheOmbudsmanGraby Sauce
      9/14/13 10:35am

      I've been watching the local news here and seeing footage of so many roads either partially or totally washed out. Many of them have several feet of base missing too. It'll take months, not weeks, I figure.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    StraelboraMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 11:00am

    How long until Alex Jones claims that Obama used the CIA's weather machine to punish Colorado for recalling two gun-control state senators?

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      TheOmbudsmanStraelbora
      9/14/13 11:07am

      I posted a link to another comment thread a bit ago.

      Just google "colorado flooding HAARP" for some facepalmy goodness.

      Reply
      <
    • Read More
      FrederickDouglassTheOmbudsman
      9/14/13 12:39pm

      Gotta love the weather control angle.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    A_Copy_EditorMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 11:01am

    I live in Boulder county. My town is also pretty hard-hit by this, but we live a couple blocks off (above) the flood plain. Respond to this comment if you're in Boulder county and completely stranded/left without a home. Can't promise I can help (and I won't be online much throughout the day), but I can TRY to periodically check and see what's up.

    Some important notes:

    Anyone looking to get into or out of Boulder county towns: from now until the end of the weekend (at least), your best bet is to head EAST to I-25, which will take you away from the St Vrain, Left Hand, and other creeks/rivers.

    Last I checked, you can't get on or off of I-25 at exit 240 (Longmont, Firestone), but you can go one exit to 66. I think 66 is open pretty much all the way to 75th (Hygiene, right before Lyons).

    Stay safe. And stay tuned to the advisories not only on flash floods, but drinking water. There's been talk that some towns may voluntarily shut off water until the waters recede. And, lastly, don't drink well water! There have been a few waste treatment plants that have been flooded over now, so the flood waters are definitely contaminated.

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      IWantSoupA_Copy_Editor
      9/14/13 11:53am

      I must live in the same neighborhood as you. I feel guilty that we have cable, internet, water, electricity, our own home to stay in. Looking out my window, I would never guess at the destruction just a mile or two away.

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    PeppermintMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/14/13 1:26pm
    • CU is sending messages out to parents asking them to call their kids and keep them entertained, because students are all bored and drinking or taking inner tubes down the stairs.
    • At least one hospital has stopped all non-elective procedures and is taking emergencies only.
    • Lyons is fucked; a family friend who just opened a business just lost her entire inventory.
    • North Longmont is fucked; the St. Vrain river is outta control.
    • Schools in St. Vrain, at least, are closed until Wednesday. Not sure if it's because Longmont is fucked or because the schools are being used as emergency shelters and the school buses are being used to evacuate people.
    • The super-fucked-ness is exacerbated by the fact that no one has flood insurance.
    • Some of the people stuck in Jamestown were some kids doing Outdoor Ed. This is like the third time I've heard of Colorado kids getting stuck at Outdoor Ed, though the other times have all been because of snow.
    • I'm at my parents' place in Niwot for the weekend and there's zero signs of flooding besides the grass being unseasonably green. Also they have to boil water. It's really surreal to be between the Boulder Creek flooding and the St. Vrain flooding but being completely untouched.
    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      Polly Jenna StonePeppermint
      9/14/13 7:16pm

      Glad you're okay!

      Reply
      <
  • Read More
    ArdenMax Rivlin-Nadler
    9/15/13 4:18pm

    From an environmental standpoint, how much of that nasty disgusting water is just going to head back down into a river or people's drinking water, and how much of the ruins of these people's house and pollution caused by this going to actually be disposed and recycled properly?

    I had the same problem with the NYC flooding when they just decided to, rather than properly treat the disgusting polluted filth laden subway water, simply pump it straight back into our oceans, further adding to the pollution in our great blue seas.

    What about the ruins of all those people's houses? The insultion and cardboard, the cars, the wood the metal...is any of that going to be properly recycled and treated or are we just going to dump it in a massive pile somewhere?

    It really feels like people actually don't care about the environmental toll things like this takes. Sure, we go on and on about how recycling is the "right" and "responsible" thing to do, (recycle your cans and bottles and papers, don't litter, put trash where it belongs, etc etc) but when push comes to shove, we abandon that mentality in a heart beat. "Must get the subways up and running because Money. Mother Earth can fuck off. Open wide Atlantic Ocean, here's some untreated trash-filled subway water for you, you bag of shit."

    Reply
    <
    • Read More
      TheOmbudsmanMax Rivlin-Nadler
      9/14/13 10:33am

      "Unaccounted for" is not necessarily "missing". There's lots of homes up in the foothills that may be inaccessible and with land lines and cell towers out, out of touch - but the people there may well be ok.

      And, recent wildfires have definitely made things worse. The soil in those areas is scorched, and less able to absorb water - which means it just flows on by, and takes the burned soil with it.

      Reply
      <
      • Read More
        abidabiTheOmbudsman
        9/14/13 11:09am

        Thank you, I came here to say this. 200 people are unaccounted for, which simply means that they haven't been able to be contacted. Most of them are probably fine and simply are at shelters and don't have their cell phones with them, or holed up at home without phone service. "Missing" means that the authorities know they're not where they're supposed to be; for example, one of the 4 people who died was listed as missing for a day or two because they knew she'd been in the flood waters but her body had not been recovered yet.

        Reply
        <
    • Read More
      OortCloudMax Rivlin-Nadler
      9/14/13 1:26pm

      What about the poor California Zephyr? Are its tracks OK? It goes along some scary-ass drop-offs!

      Reply
      <
      • Read More
        PeteRROortCloud
        9/14/13 5:13pm

        Thankfully very few people ride trains now, so only the crew is at risk.

        Reply
        <
      • Read More
        OortCloudPeteRR
        9/14/13 6:23pm

        Are you kidding? The California Zephyr goes from Chicago to California every day, with something like, I don't know, 300 people on board. I rode it in June.

        Reply
        <