Wednesday afternoon during conversation with my wife who was in California on business: "It is raining hard and has been since you left yesterday. A tropical rain that we just don't see here. If this keeps up much longer, there are going to be problems."
Thursday morning after telling our 3-yr old boy that school is going to be closed: "I knew it. That's a lot of rain."
Thursday morning at Spruce in North Boulder: "We're closing at 8am. If you need coffee or food we'll set you up. Otherwise, we're going home."
Thursday evening: "Rob, I'm just going to stay at the airport tonight - I don't want to risk it."
Friday morning: "Just try going west on Erie Parkway and see if they forgot to close that one..."
Saturday morning: "You're lucky you stayed at the airport. I drove home that night and it was the scariest thing I have ever done. I watched one guy drive into an intersection and his car flip right over and get washed down the road. First responders had to pull him out." - Random guy at Spruce.
Sunday: "Is it really still raining?"
Monday: "Did it really just rain all night?"
And the rain kept coming...our dustbowl of a back lawn turned into a lake...the water ultimately rose to the bottom of the slide.
Boulder Creek flows below 75th at a tranquil rate of less than 200cfs on most days. During the flood it was clocked at over 5,000cfs. We figure the local trout are somewhere around Ft. Morgan by now.
75th just south of Jay Road in Boulder during the flood became a significant waterway. Not sure what was more interesting - watching the water or peoples' reactions to the volume of water.
The Chinooks came to the rescue of thousands. Was very moving watching people empty out of the back of the choppers with a pet and a bag - knowing they would not see their homes for a long time...if ever.