Colorado Floods and Droughts on the high plains now and then, a series of photographic diptychs

 

Colorado Floods and Droughts on the high plains now and then, a series of photographic diptychs   Denver Post photographer RJ Sangosti spent time over the past year making pictures in communities across the high plains of eastern Colorado. He found that all is not well for this section of small-town America. Along with battling a major drought in recent years, the area’s agricultural earning power has continued to decline. Farms got big, and small farmers got out. The younger generation moved away to get college educations and never returned to teach, practice law or to take over their parents’ businesses. The corporate, big-box stores in nearby cities continually choked out their small, main street businesses, and housing values declined. Yet people remain and endure. This series of photographs presents a vignette of life in Eastern Colorado: Low times on the high plains. 1 HASWELL, CO - JUNE 23: A tumbleweed races across what once was fertile farmland, but now looks more like a desert suffering from years of drought, June 23, 2013. A small rain storm in the background dropped some much-needed rain. It was a little too late to save this year's crops at a farm in Haswell. # 2 BRUSH, CO - JULY 11: Charles Hesse watches the cattle auction at High Plains Livestock Exchange in Brush, July 11, 2013. Tim Stutzman, owner of the livestock exchange, said he is seeing record numbers of ranchers selling off cattle this year. "We are flooded with drought cattle," he said. The pasture land is so dry that ranchers can't afford to feed the cattle and are forced to sell them off. # 3 AKRON, CO-July 08, 2013: Almost everyone in the room at the Washington County fairgrounds in Akron, CO, raised their hands when asked if they felt if their needs were being ignored by the Colorado State Legislature during a public meeting to talk about the idea of forming the 51st state, July 08, 2013. The proposal came after many attending the meeting felt that the State Legislature continued to ignore the needs of rural Colorado. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 4 WILD HORSE, CO - JULY 22: The moon rises over the small town of Wild Horse, July 22, 2013. The town derived its name from a nearby creek that was a watering hole for the wild mustangs that once roamed the area. Nowadays, there is little that roams the area. This modern-day ghost town only has a hand full of residents left. # 5 EADS, CO - AUGUST 12: Lisa James packs up her room at her family's home in Eads, to leave for college, August 12, 2013. The 18-year-old James, former rodeo queen of Kiowa County, is heading to Texas Christian University to study political science. "I love living here, and hopefully someday I can come back. But is it's hard to find jobs here," she said. According to the last census data, Colorado's population has grown by 17 percent, yet Kiowa County's population has declined by 10 percent. # 6 BRISTOL, CO - JULY 23, 2013: Elmer Stalford's shadow is seen in the window of the closed post office in Bristol as he turns to look at a cattle truck passing through town, July 23, 2013. Stalford runs the only still operating business in Bristol - an auto repair shop. "I am the only business left. They have all moved on," he said. Bristol lost its township after the post office closed. # 7 OTIS, CO - NOVEMBER 05: Abandoned storefronts line Main Street in Otis, CO, November 05, 2013. Nearby Fort Morgan makes it easy for Otis residents to drive to big box stores, which negatively impacted local markets and retailers in this small town. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)# 8 KARVAL, CO-July 19, 2013: A corn field remains unplanted after last year's harvest in Karval, July 22, 2013. The area has been designated as a Stage 4 drought for the last several years, which has left farmers little to no options for planting. # 9 EADS, CO-July 24, 2013: Gary Wollert, a rancher in Eads, CO, stops to let his dogs get a drink as they move cattle, July 24, 2013. Wollert is worried that his cattle are going to run out of pastureland if they don't get rain soon to grow more natural grasses. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 10 EADS, CO - AUGUST 06: Bill Krum Sr. hangs laundry outside of his home in Eads, August 06, 2013. With water in short supply in the area due to a Stage 4 drought, Krum has put in an emergency water tank. "We are old and live out in the middle of nowhere. Without water, it is scary to live out here. This just gives me and my wife a little peace of mind," said Krum. # 11 KARVAL, CO-July 25, 2013: Joseph Eaglefeather watches westerns at his home in Karval, CO, July 25, 2013. Eaglefeather was hurt in a car crash and received financial assistance due to the accident. "Without that money, there is no way I could stay here. I feel sorry for people around here. There is no money or work to be found," he said, referring to the town that he loves. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 12 ORDWAY, CO-June 23, 2013: Ricky Markus carries his granddaughter from his cattle feeding truck at his ranch in Ordway, CO, June 23, 2013. Markus brought his cattle in to feed them grain because his pastureland was dry. High grain and hay prices make Markus worry he will have to sell off his cattle if the drought continues. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 13 HASWELL, CO - JUNE 22: Children in the Briggs family cool off in a pool outside their home in Haswell, June 22, 2013. The pool is like an oasis in Haswell, hit hard by the drought, as neighborhood children often stop by for a dip. # 14 KARVAL, CO-July 19, 2013: Water slowly recedes from Karval Lake, July 22, 2013. In summers past, the lake was a popular place for fishing and camping for nearby residents, but now the water stands no deeper than 3 feet. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 15 WILD HORSE, CO-June 23, 2013: Bill Skinner opens the front door of his home in Wild Horse, CO, June 23, 2013. Skinner said there are two things you need to live in this country, which he keeps by his front door -- water and the Bible. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 16 KARVAL, CO - JUNE 23: On a hot summer day with temperatures in the mid 90s, Alice Webb, 96, of Karval, wipes sweat from her brow as she plays solitaire alone in her living room, June 23, 2013. "I've lived through the Great Depression, the drought in the 1950s, but nothing compares to what I'm seeing now," said Webb. # 17 EADS, CO-August, 2013: Melanie Martin, 17, a Future Farmers of America high school senior, sits in a dunk tank during the Eads Main Street Bash aimed at raising money to save the town's theater, August 10, 2013. Like may small towns in eastern Colorado, Eads is struggling to keep its main street alive. Many other store fronts in town are already abandoned. # 18 LAMAR, CO-August, 2013: Eight-year-old Jaden Kalma helps her mother by holding her baby sister, Jerney, 1, during a nap at the Prowers County Sand and Sage Fair, August 08, 2013. Their mother, Kerry Kalma, was busy helping their other sister show lambs. "We all have to help out. That's how people around here survive ... we all need to do our part," said Kerry. # 19 SUGAR CITY, CO - NOVEMBER 04: With little to no water, there is no grass around the headstones at the cemetery in Sugar City, CO, November 04, 2013. To keep down the dust, the topsoil as been plowed and turned over, which causes the cemetery to blend into the farmland behind it. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 20 SUGAR CITY, CO - NOVEMBER 04: Nathan Vaisa, left, and Harry Tomlin clean up around an abandoned home in Sugar City, November 04, 2013. The two work for a local bank that will try to auction off the property. # 21 MCCLAVE, CO-July 25, 2013: Like relics in a museum, the way of life for many people in the High Plains of Colorado is in jeopardy of fading into the past. A storefront window displays mementoes of past prosperity in McClave, CO, July 25, 2013. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

History repeats itself. Not always in exactly the same way- although sometimes it looks like it. During the massive flooding across Colorado in September 2013, Denver Post photographers amassed thousands of images documenting the historic disaster. They were on the ground, in the water and in the air, bringing readers a visceral first-hand report. This was not, however, the first major flood to hit Colorado. Looking through the Denver Post archive uncovered another incredible set of flood pictures. A 1976 flash flood through Big Thompson Canyon is still the state’s deadliest disaster, killing 144 people and causing $35.5 million in damage. In 1965, Plum Creek and the South Platte River flooded through Denver, killing 21 people and wiping out 2,500 homes and 750 businesses. Denver Post photographers were there too, capturing images that were strikingly similar to those that poured across the photo desk this September. This series of diptych images pairs photographs of the 2013 flooding with pictures from a number of historic Colorado floods. All but two of these images were made by Denver Post photographers. Some pictures came together due to obvious visual similarities while others found a pairing purely because of content. Each scene of devastation, daring rescue or unexpected moment of humor read just as powerfully today as they did when they were first published. Want to hear more about covering the 2013 floods from Denver Post photographers firsthand? The next Photo Night at The Denver Post is November 19, 2013 at 6pm. 1 LEFT: 1957 - Storm catches lowry airmen (Ed Maker/The Denver Post) RIGHT: University of Colorado students help push a vehicle from a flooded parking lot in Boulder early Friday morning, September 13, 2013. (Karl Gehring/The Denver Post) # 2 LEFT: 1983 - Cherry Creek Lake and Recreation Area Perimeter Rd. where Cherry Creek runs under it. (Lyn Alweis/The Denver Post) RIGHT: A driver passes through a flooded section of Alameda Ave in Denver, September 12, 2013. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post) # 3 LEFT: July 25 1965 - Tom Larkin, 19, and Herb Bealmar, 17, walk through S. Federal & W. Dakota Ave. (Ed Maker/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Residents in Evans carry out belongings from their flooded homes, September 16, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 4 LEFT: June 16 1965 - Effie Nelson, 84, is carried from flooded home near Brighton. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Kyle Schuler trudges through the water and mud as Cheryl Schuler is carried from her home by her husband Kim in Boulder, September 12, 2013. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post) # 5 RIGHT: July, 15 1965 - William H.Haines in front of his flood-damaged home in Denver. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post) LEFT: Gale Erlewine looks at his cabin that is completely surrounded by the South St. Vrain river near Riverside, CO September 12, 2013. (Photo By Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) # 6 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Residents evacuate 6 miles east of Estes Park during the Big Thompson River Canyon flood. (Ernie Leyba/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Darian Shaw is rescued by the Alpine Rescue Team in 4 Mile Canyon September 13, 2013 in Salina, Colorado. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post)# 7 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Loveland-area firemen search debris along the banks of the Big Thompson River. (Steve Larson/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A Rescue worker goes door to door checking on residents in north Boulder, September 12, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 8 LEFT: June 16, 1965 - Emergency personnel assist a flood victim in Denver. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Dan Hull, center, is assisted by Brian Marquardt, left, and Scott Johnson outside his flooded home in Hygiene, CO September 14, 2013. (Craig F. Walker / The Denver Post) # 9 LEFT: April 13, 1973 - William Shamray, Kersey, Colo., races through Floodwaters with a cat he rescued from a roof. (Dave Buresh/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Jimmy Walker works to remove four chickens from the roof of a shed in Longmont, Colorado September 15, 2013. (Seth McConnell/The Denver Post) # 10 LEFT: July 28, 1966 - Loring Goodan looks over the remains of floodwater from Deer Creek. (Bill Peters/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Kym Dabagian checks out the damage in her neighborhood in north Boulder, September 12, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 11 LEFT: Sept. 17, 1969 - Cub Scouts at a flooded playground in Littleton. (Floyd H. McCall/The Denver Post) RIGHT: People check out the flooded Overland High School baseball field in Aurora, Colorado September 12, 2013. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) # 12 LEFT: June 18, 1965 - A car lot is flooded southeast of Greeley. (Bill Johnson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Cars in a Junk yard on 37th street in Evans, Colorado. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 13 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Evacuees from the Big Thompson River Canyon flood. (John J. Sunderland/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Residents rescued from areas west of Boulder exit a Colorado National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Boulder Municipal Airport on Sept. 16, 2013. (Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post) # 14 LEFT: July 1, 1965 - Gary Wormington scoops mud from basement of his Corbone home. (Dave Buresh/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Pam Ungaro, left, and Maria Sabadini cut up carpet in the basement of homeowners Jim and Mary Ellen Briscoe in Longmont, CO Sept. 14, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post) # 15 LEFT: June 17, 1965 - Sheep crowd onto the high center, surrounded by flood water in their pen at Denver Union Stock Yards. (Ed Maker/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A pig and a track hoe stranded on a sanding island in flooded land in Milliken, CO Sept. 16, 2013. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 16 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - A section of road ripped apart by waters of the flooded big Thompson river. (Steve Larson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: A crew approaches a washed out section of road along South Boulder Creek in the Eldorado Canyon State Park, September 18, 2013. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post) # 17 LEFT: April 14, 1973 - Leonard Keller of Keenesburg, Colo., aided flood victims. (Bill Wunsch/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Longmont resident Jerry Nopens thanks a group of students from Vista Ridge Academy in Erie that helped clean up around his flooded-out home on Sept. 22, 2013. (John Leyba/The Denver Post) # 18 LEFT: June 16, 1965 - A flood washed road in Denver. (Duane Howell/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Cindy Pasquale wades through flood water on Hygiene Road in Hygiene, CO Sept. 14, 2013. (Craig F. Walker / The Denver Post) # 19 LEFT: June 16, 1965 - A sheep was killed by flooding along S. Parker Rd. (David Mathias/The Denver Post) RIGHT: A bull was killed in the flood at a ranch near Milliken, September 16, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 20 LEFT: June 11, 1972 - Steven Hughes cleans debris out of his kitchen. (David Cupp/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Kathryn Reeves helps her elderly godparents in Evans carry out belongings from their flooded home, Sept. 17, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 21 LEFT: April 14, 1973 - Muddy But Passable, 4th street in Kersey, CO. (Bill Wunsch/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A man holds his head by the mouth of Big Thompson Canyon in Loveland, CO Sept. 17, 2013. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) # 22 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (Bill Johnson/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Casey Roy, 9, looks through an outside window at the damage in her families basement in north Boulder Sept. 12, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 23 LEFT: June 16, 1965 - Floods, Denver. (Duane Howell/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Colleen Williams gives her neighbor Leon Hill, right, a hug early in the morning in Jamestown, CO on Sept. 15, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post) # 24 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (Steve Larson/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Weston Marlatt moves debris from his friend Dan Williams' garage in Longmont, Colorado Sept. 18, 2013. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) # 25 LEFT: June 3, 1965 - Carrying a shovel, Mayor Robert Chase of Columbine Valley heads for cleanup work along with Gene Armstrong and the mayor's twin sons, David and Richard. (Ira Gay Sealy/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Residents survey flash flooding damage in 4 Mile Canyon Sept. 13, 2013 in Salina, Colorado. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post) # 26 LEFT: July 20, 1975 - A young bicyclist wades through high water on Interstate 25 under 19th St. viaduct in Denver. (John J. Sunderland/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Husband and wife Elizabeth Garcia and Fernando Quintana wade out to their stranded car on 95th Street north of Valmont Road in Boulder Sept. 14, 2013. (Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post) # 27 LEFT: April 27, 1974 - Steamboat Springs, CO. (Lenny Brooks/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Sandbags are piled in front of a closed sign in front of a business in Estes Park. (Photo By Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post) # 28 LEFT: July 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (John J. Sunderland/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Maggie McDonald, a resident of Fort Collins, reacts to photos that her former Glen Haven neighbor Mary Nolan (left) shows her of the town which was devastated by flood waters. The pair were gathered at Timberline Church in Fort Collins. (Photo By Erin Hull/The Denver Post) # 29 LEFT: May 12, 1947 - Three feet of water cascades through a cottage in Manitou. (Floyd H. McCall/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Michelle Toubeaux checks out the damage to her home in LaSalle Sept. 19, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 30 LEFT: April 12, 1973 - Kersey lies under water from the Latham Reservoir after the dam broke. (Barry Staver/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Longmont Colorado flooding. (Photo by John Wark/Special to The Denver Post) # 31 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon flood. (Ernie Leyba/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Sonia Chacon clears debris from around her family's home in Boulder Sept. 12, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 32 LEFT: Feb. 10, 1980 - A Weld County resident stands amid rushing water from the prospect valley dam as it floods across farmland. (John J. Sunderland/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Homeowner Brad DeHaan, with his daughter Elise, 8, checks out the flooding damage to the road that leads to his house in Riverside, CO on Sept. 12, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post) # 33 LEFT: June 20, 1965 - Henry Rubil, age 17 on Clay St., Denver. (Duane Howell/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Evans Resident Rito Romero checks out the damage in his family's flooded home, Sept. 16, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 34 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - U.S. 34 during the Big Thompson River flood. (David Cupp/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: An unidentified man stands on County Road 61, looking at damage caused by the swollen South Platte River in Weld County Sept. 16, 2013. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 35 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Water-battered motels and refugees were a common sight. (Ernie Leyba/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A jeep is covered in debris in a backyard along West Cheyenne Rd in Colorado Spring, Colorado on Sept. 15, 2013. (Seth McConnell/The Denver Post) # 36 LEFT: May 6, 1969 - South Deer Creek Road near Phillipsburg, CO. (Steve Larson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Hwy 7 is completely blown out from the South St. Vrain river near Lyons Sept. 12, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post) # 37 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon (Dave Buresh/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: The Big Thompson River overflowing it's banks and causing widespread damage to Colorado U.S. 34 in the Big Thompson Canyon Sept. 14, 2013. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post) # 38 LEFT: June 16, 1965 - House trailer & buildings overwhelmed by the Platte River. (Dave Buresh/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: People walk down 37th street in Evans, Colorado, carrying belongings recovered from flooded homes in the area. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 39 LEFT: April 12, 1973 - These front-end loaders were used Thursday afternoon in an attempt to dike floodwaters from the Latham Reservoir from moving into Kersey, Colorado. The attempt appeared to be abandoned at about 3:30 p.m. as waters crumbled portions of the dike. (Barry Staver/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: An aerial photograph shows the damage in Lyons from the recent flood, Sept. 13, 2013. (Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 40 LEFT: April 13, 1973 - Horses provide 6 handy and reliable means of transportation in Kersey, CO. (Dave Buresh/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Glen Haven Fire Captain Tom Housewright high fives a fellow firefighter as the two cross on main street of Glen Haven, CO. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post) # 41 LEFT: April 26, 1971 - Coal Creek Spills out of its banks and Across road Monday near the Boulder turnpike and Dillon Road. (Duane Howell/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Three vehicles crashed into a creek after the road washed out from beneath them near Dillon Rd. and 287 in Broomfield Sept. 12, 2013. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post) # 42 LEFT: April 12, 1973 - A truck hauling cattle form an abandoned feed lot moves over a flooded road toward Kersey. (Barry Staver/The Denver Post) RIGHT: A truck in the floodwaters on a breached section of a road near Longmont Sept. 16, 2013. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 43 LEFT: July 31, 1956 - Dirt washed down into the Valley Highway roadway at E. Florida Ave. in Denver. (Dean Conger/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: People walk down 37th street in Evans Colorado, carrying belongings recovered from flooded homes in the area Sept. 16, 2013 (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 44 LEFT: May 12, 1947 - A narrow escape from the roaring flood waters is recalled by Mrs. C.N. Shaull (at right) of Manitou, as she stands in front of her cottage with her daughter, Katherine, 16, and son Fred, 6. (Floyd H. McCall/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Flood waters have consumed a house along Hygiene Road in Hygiene, CO Sept. 14, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post) # 45 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (Steve Larson/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A home lies in ruin after it's foundation was washed out in 4 Mile Canyon Sept. 26, 2013 Salina, CO. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post) # 46 LEFT: July 16, 1982 - Charles Mason scoops mud out of the Gracraft Shop in Estes Park. (Jim Richardson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Eric Grimm wrings a mop out while cleaning the mud and flood waters out of the lobby of his business on Main St. in Longmont Sept. 14, 2013. (Seth McConnell/The Denver Post) # 47 LEFT: May 6, 1969 - Raging bear creek flows through a ripped-out section of S. Zang St. about three miles east of Morrison. (Bill Wunsch/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Dominic Deleon, 11, of Longmont checks out flood damage caused by St. Vrian Creek from Sunset St. Longmont Sept. 21, 2013. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) # 48 LEFT: June 19, 1965 - Horse creek washed out the bridge on U.S. highway 50 about a quarter mile north of the Arkansas river and west of Las Animas. (Cloyd Teter/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Flood waters receding near a washed out road near gas wells and oil storage tanks in Weld County, Colorado close to the town of Milliken Thursday afternoon, Sept. 19, 2013. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post) # 49 LEFT: June 16, 1965 - Trailers scattered by South Platte River flooding are piled up at W. Bowles Ave. in Littleton. (Ed Maker/The Denver Post) RIGHT: House trailers piled up by flood waters in a storage facility on Brantner Rd in Evans, CO. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 50 LEFT: August 3, 1976 - Mud and leaves dry out inside a wrecked truck along Big Thompson river. (David Cupp/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A pickup truck is buried under rocks and debris along Canon Ave. in Manitou Springs, CO August 10, 2013. (Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post) # 51 LEFT: July 21, 1990 - Jeremy Eaton (age 13) right, watches his cousin, Jesse Ellis (age 15) jump into the shallow water under the swings at Sterne Park in Littleton. (Lyn Alweis/The Denver Post) RIGHT: A group of youths use a flooded field for skim-boarding at North Boulder Park in Boulder, CO Sept. 12, 2013. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post) # 52 LEFT: July 18, 1958 - Boys on their bikes had a big time even if Motorists didn't along E. 32nd Ave., which had the look of a river at Eudora St. (Dean Conger/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Talvin DeWitt, 9, left and Bodin Bichon, 8, wade through the water surrounding their neighbor's house on Widgeon Lane in Longmont, CO on Sept. 14, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) # 53 LEFT: June 20, 1965 - Mrs. Ethel Christensen rescues a floor lamp from her mother's flood-damaged home in Denver. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Jessica Cruz came all the way from Fort Collins to help clean out the basement of her parents' neighbors Jim and Mary Ellen Briscoe in Longmont, CO on Sept. 14, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) # 54 LEFT: August 5, 1970 - Mrs. Frank Wallic walks dejectedly past a pile of rubbish swept onto her property by the flooding Parmalee Gulch. (Steve Larson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: A woman takes in the view from the banks of the North St. Vrain River amid flooding debris in Lyons, CO Sept. 18, 2013. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post) # 55 LEFT: July 27, 1957 - Raging waters forced the closing of a bridge over Cherry Creek along E. Belleview Ave. (Dean Conger/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: University of Colorado students gather on a pedestrian bridge over Boulder Creek at 28th Street in Boulder, CO Sept. 12, 2013. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post) # 56 LEFT: May 1, 1969 - A National Guard jeep with water trailer creeps through rubble, past stalled Boulder County maintainer as first supplies for isolated Jamestown are brought in. (Bill Johnson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Pinewood resident Judd Payne brings in supplies on the back of his ATV along the resident's new trail next to the Little Thompson River over what used to be Highway 36, west of Pinewood Springs, CO on Sept. 22, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) # 57 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Going into Rome, Big Thompson River Canyon flood. (David Cupp/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Jon Cook drives down Hygiene Road with his father, Bob, while looking over flooding on neighbors property in Hygiene, CO Sept. 14, 2013. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post) # 58 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Dogs, goods and people traverse the Big Thompson River. (Ernie Leyba/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Jamestown resident Leon Hill, right, makes his way up town on boards that cover debris with other residents along James Canyon drive in Jamestown, CO on September 15, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) # 59 LEFT: July 20, 1965 - Floods, Denver. Fred Risen and his truck. (Duane Howell/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A group of youths gather on Balsam Ave in Boulder, CO Sept. 12, 2013. (Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post) # 60 LEFT: June 15, 1965 - The W. 6th Ave. twin bridges over the South Platte River with debris piled up under the bridge. (Ed Maker/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: Jamestown showing a home wiped out by the flooding. (Photo provided by Matthew Gurnsey) # 61 LEFT: August 1, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (Dave Buresh/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: The Big Thompson River rages through the washed out Loveland Water Storage Reservoir in Larimer County Colorado Saturday morning, Sept. 14, 2013. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post) # 62 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (David Cupp/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: U.S. Highway 36 between Lyons and Pinewood Springs. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) # 63 LEFT: June 17, 1983 - Members of Richardson Family. Floods, Colorado. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post) RIGHT: From left, Dale Reeves, Kathryn Reeves, and Trent Mayes help their elderly family member in Evans carry out belongings from their flooded homes, Sept. 17, 2013. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 64 LEFT: April 14, 1973 - Greeley, Colo., Boy Scouts at home of Harry O'Brien, Kersey, CO. (Bill Wunsch/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Colleen Keane, right, tries to salvage clothing by washing it out in the gutter in front of her home near Iris Ave and 9th St. in Boulder, Colorado, Sept. 16, 2103. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post) # 65 LEFT: June 13, 1974 - Lloyd Atwater stands on a carpet of mud that was deposited when a wall of water smashed through his house in Dark Canyon area of Rapid Creek, Streaked lines on back wall indicate depth of flood. (Denver Post photo) RIGHT: Sherry Ford pauses for a moment while cleaning out her house damaged by flood waters at Ford Horse Ranch along Highway 388 in Kersey, Colorado Sept. 24, 2013. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) # 66 LEFT: June 17, 1965 - Floods, Denver. Railroad Yard. (Ed Maker/The Denver Post) RIGHT: An aerial photograph showing the flooding of Oil and Gas industry operations across Northern Colorado Sept. 16, 2013. (Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post) # 67 LEFT: May 12, 1947 - Glen Nelson, Manitou, begins the job of digging out his automobile, buried up to the radiator by rock, mud and gravel washed down by the flash flood. (Floyd H. McCall/The Denver Post) RIGHT: An old black Mercedes lays buried in the debris in Jamestown, CO Sept. 15, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) # 68 LEFT: June 18, 1965 - Amid the flood debris in the 1900 block of S. Huron St. in Denver is this child's doll, apparently stripped of its clothing by the flood water. This photo prompted drive for toys for small flood victims. (Duane Howell/ The Denver Post) RIGHT: A baby doll is covered in mud at a home in Evans, CO Sept. 16, 2013 (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) # 69 LEFT: August 2, 1976 - Big Thompson River Canyon. (Bill Johnson/The Denver Post) RIGHT: Residents taped a sign to their door in Pinewood Springs, CO, Sept. 22, 2013. (Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post)