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Texas Tragedy Sad Reminder of Big Thompson Flood

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The recent flash flood that resulted in the loss of more than 100 adults and children in the Texas Hill Country was a heart­breaking reminder of the power of Mother Nature and how lives can be lost and forever changed in an instant. There are no words to describe the anguish and sorrow of the many families impacted by this event.

The Texas tragedy hits home with many of us in Colorado who either lived through or have family or friends who lived through the flash flood that tore through the Big Thompson River Canyon nearly 50 years ago. While these two events occurred five decades apart, they are unfortunately similar in many ways.

During the evening hours of July 31, 1976, after nearly a foot of rain fell on the headwaters of the Big Thompson near Estes Park, a 20-foot wall of water roared down the canyon, sweeping away everything and everyone in its path. The flash flood that night took the lives of 144 adults and children; in a few cases, the victims were never found. In both the Texas flood and the Big Thompson Flood, the waters rose so fast and were so swift that there was little anyone could do to save the victims.

I was a teenager in Kansas at the time, but my sister Sandy was working as a horse wrangler at the Trails End Ranch for Girls (a unit of the Cheley Colo­rado Camps) near Glen Haven that night. The Cheley camps are operated by the Cheley family and have been a place of joy and learning for kids from all over the country for over 100 years. Sandy loved working at the camp, making friends that have lasted a lifetime, and teaching girls how to ride and take care of horses.

Thankfully, the Cheley camps were (and still are) located at a higher elevation and far enough from the Big Thompson River, so the flash flood did not directly impact the campers and staff. However, in those days long before cellphone service, families across the country — including mine — waited impatiently to hear news from Colorado and to find out if their kids were all right. My sister tells frightening accounts of the tragedies and close calls that occurred that night, a night she will never forget.

I remember clearly that as soon as we heard from Sandy, my folks and I got in the family car and headed west from Topeka, Kansas, to pick her up and bring her back home. We always loved coming to Colorado, but in this case, we were just relieved to see Sandy and give her a big hug.

As much as I’m grateful that our family did not lose my sister in the Big Thompson Flood, it reminds me that many folks then and now were not so lucky. We should keep them all in our prayers.

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for 21 Colorado electric distribution co-ops and one power supply co-op.