Beginning about 7:00 p.m. a thunderstorm towering over 50,000 feet stalled near Hague’s Peak in the upper reaches of the Big Thompson Canyon.
The torrential downpour from that storm put almost 12 inches of rainfall in the Glen Comfort and North Fork areas in just four hours. This normally pleasant river rapidly became a raging torrent as the volume of water reached a peak 31,000 cfs, far above the 200 cfs that normally flow through the narrows.
The resulting flash flood caused destruction as far as the Platte River southeast of Greeley, Colorado. It destroyed homes, businesses, and roads…
It took the lives of 144 people.
As requested, we made available a list of the victims and their location.
However rare, it is important to know all canyon areas are subject to flash flooding. For safety, do not drive through flooded areas. Climb to safety.
25th Memorial and Remembrance
July 31, 2001
“Big Thompson Canyon Flood Memorial, Inc.”
Board Members:
Shawn Williams
Peggy Lafferty
Marlene Johnson
Barbara Anderson
Check out our How You Can Help page and join us at the annual Memorial Service.