During the Boulder flood in 2013 floodwaters overtopped U.S. 36 creating a flash flood situation that put thousands of lives in southeast Boulder at risk. Water poured across roadways forcing its way into apartments and single family homes. There was no way to evacuate the area because egress roads were impassable and emergency responders could not access the neighborhoods despite getting calls for help. Frasier Meadows Retirement Community also flooded putting its senior residents, some of them ill, at even greater risk. The volume of water, its force, and the rapidity of its rise served as a wakeup call revealing the serious consequences people living in affected neighborhoods will face the next time South Boulder Creek overtops U.S. 36.
Video: Floodwaters overtop U.S. 36, Boulder flood 2013
Video: Frasier Meadows Health Care Center, Boulder flood 2013
Video: Frasier Meadows Parking Garage, Boulder flood 2013
See the City of Boulder’s South Boulder Creek Flood Mitigation Plan for more details.