Flash Flood — Douglas, Colorado

2006-07-07 · near Southwest Portion, Douglas, Colorado

Event narrative

Up to 3 inches of heavy rain in the Hayman burn area caused destructive flash flooding along West Creek, between Deckers and Westcreek. Horse Creek, which drains into West Creek, swelled from a normally small creek, into a raging torrent, 25 to 30 feet deep and 300 feet wide. The wall of water damaged or destroyed approximately 30 sections of a 5-mile stretch of State Highway 67, which parallels West Creek. Several homes were extensively damaged or destroyed. In all 86 homes had no access to the highway, resulting in a 125-mile detour for residents of the West Creek subdivision. The sheriff's office used reverse 911 to warn residents to evacuate the area surrounding the subdivision. Campsites near Deckers were also evacuated. No injuries were reported, but several people had to be rescued, due to extensive damage to the access roads and bridges in the area. Reconstruction was estimated to be $13.3 million.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5525061. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.