Flash Flood — Jefferson, Colorado

1996-07-12 · near Buffalo Creek, Jefferson, Colorado

Wider weather episode

Very heavy rain from a fast moving thunderstorm dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain within an hour over southern Jefferson County. Two people were killed near the town of Buffalo Creek when a 20-ft wall of water blasted through the area. Utility poles and trees were uprooted, cars, propane tanks and bridges were destroyed in the flood's path. Entire buildings were moved off their foundations or heavily damaged in the floodwaters. The first fatality occurred along Highway 126, when the driver of a pickup was washed off the road by the deadly wall of water. The second death occurred further downstream when a man in a 5th wheel trailer was washed away. This was the second disaster to strike the area in the past few months. The community was already recovering from a wildfire which burned about 12,000 acres of forestland in May. With the forestland surrounding Buffalo Creek burned by fire; very little vegetation was available to slow the storm's runoff which resulted in the flash flood. Power, along with water and sewer service, were heavily damaged in the flood, and in some cases beyond repair. The cost of repairing the roads and water system in the area were estimated to be around $521,000.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5558277. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.