High-Impact Weather and Climate Events

"Embankment North of Pueblo, Pueblo County, 2007: The area north of Pueblo was inundated by heavy rainfall in early May 2007. On the morning of May 7, an earthen embankment along Fountain Creek failed and 15 structures were flooded. The flooding was not a result of overtopping, but rather structural failure. This embankment was not a certified levee and was not identified on the effective FIRM." - CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018-2023

An EF3 tornado cut from south to north through Holly and the surrounding area, damaging or destroying 160 homes. Two residents of Holly were killed.

An upslope snowstorm first dropped 20+" on the Denver Metro area, then the focus shifted east and south, with totals of 12-36" in southeastern Colorado and 30-48" in the foothills and mountains of southern Colorado. Strong winds created enormous drifts and led to enormous loss of livestock.

"La Plata County Levees and Dikes, 2006: In 2006, La Plata County experienced prolonged and heavy rainfall over October 5 and 6. Vallecito Creek overflowed, resulting in flash flooding. Levees and dikes built in the 1970s along the Creek breached on the night of October 6." - CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018-2023

The Thorn Divide Complex began as 26 lightning-ignited fires. Before firefighters contained the fire, 14,874 acres and 2 buildings were burned. Supression costs were estimated at $7 million.

The Jackson Canyon Wildfire was ignited by a lightning strike near Coal Mountain in Jackson Canyon. The fire burned 11,256 acres of land, including seven cabins, one barn, and two outbuildings before it was contained on August 23. The estimated cost of suppression was $3.8 million.

Escalante River Flood. "The flooding of the Escalante River in 2006 resulted in widespread destruction of most of the roads in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Hundreds of people were stranded during the flooding in many of the National Parks and Monuments. Many roads remained unrepaired for up to 5 years. The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument was closed to visitors. The rainfall and runoff from this event caused Lake Powell to rise by 5 feet during this storm. Hanksville was also heavily damaged and irrigation systems were destroyed." - National Weather Service

"A tornado touched down 1 mile north of Wright and traveled southeast into the town. It crossed Wyoming Highway 387, slammed into a mobile home park, and dissipated a half mile from the highway before reaching the elementary school and Wright Blvd on the southeast edge of the park. It damaged 120 of the approximately 250 homes in the park; 91 were completely destroyed. Roofs, porches, siding, and trees sustained light damage from the strong wind gusts. Two people were killed and 13 injured; all were in mobile homes." - NOAA

After six years of drought, the Virgin River basin experienced heavy rain in October 2004, resulting in minor flooding and saturating the soil heading into the winter. During January 8th - 12th a Pacific storm system produced between 0.7" and 7.7" of rain on soil that was highly saturated, resulting in significant flooding. Damages included 30 homes destroyed and 20 more significantly damaged.

"In 2005, 12 inches of precipitation fell in a 48-hour period over southwest Utah. Record flows of over 6,000 cubic feet per second on the Santa Clara River destroyed over 28 homes adjacent to the river. Homes along the river had been built on river sediments deposited from earlier flooding. When this storm occurred, the sediments that the homes had been built on quickly eroded. The Upper Still Reservoir was also damaged by the flood and had to be drained for repairs to take place. Early estimates from Washington County placed the total damage of the devastating floods that occurred during the second week of January 2005 at roughly $150 to $180 million, with another $100 million possibly needed for river reclamation efforts. The raging waters of the Santa Clara River, and to a lesser extent the Virgin River, reached flows not seen in this part of the country since floods carried away several settlements and settlers during the winter of 1862." - National Weather Service

A rockslide/debris flow closed the east entrance of Yellowstone on Highway 14/16/20, trapping three vehicles. The road was closed for one week.