Flooding Timeline in Fort CollinsApril 30, 1999On April 30, 1999, Fort Collins and surrounding area experienced a period of flooding as the result of a slow moving storm. Follow this link to see the images taken by the Office of Emergency Management. July 27-28, 1997next 1 of 11 
This photo was taken at Creekside Park on July 28, 1997, long after the flood had peaked, and still shows high water touching the bridge over Spring Creek. This devastating flash flood, known at "The Spring Creek Flood of '97," resulted from a series of heavy thunderstorms over a two-day period in West Fort Collins. Torrential rains began Sunday night, July 27th and dumped 4 - 6 inches of rain in the area. The next night, with the ground already saturated, a second round of even heavier storms formed in the same area. Meteorologists later described these storms as almost tropical in nature. More than 10 inches of rain fell from 5:30 – 11 p.m. the second night. The flooding swelled tiny Spring Creek into a raging torrent, which derailed a freight train, destroyed two fully occupied residential trailer parks and, unfortunately, killed five residents. The rainfall set records for the largest 1-day, 3-hour and 6-hour precipitation totals at the CSU gauge, even though the gauge was not located at the storm’s center. Extensive flooding occurred citywide. Colorado State University campus suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to buildings and furnishings. The campus library was hardest hit, losing much of its inventory of books and journals. The development of the Fort Collins OEM Website as a public education tool is due in large part to this flood and its aftermath. 1997 Flood Discharge EstimatesThe table lists the indirect discharge measurements made after the July 1997 flood. Note that all Spring Creek, Clearview and Fairbrooke measurements were greater than a 500-year flood.
June 24, 1992next 1 of 3 
This photo of Moby Gymnasium at CSU was taken from Elizabeth and Shields at 4:00 p.m. on June 24, 1992. This spring cloudburst brought nearly 2.5 inches of rain to Fort Collins in just over an hour. Storm sewers overflowed, which flooded many streets and businesses in the downtown business district and nearby neighborhoods. Large hail and lightning strikes caused additional damage. July 24-25, 1977This storm is the second largest 1-day storm on record at the CSU main-campus gauge. The Fort Collins’ Adriel Hills was hit hardest, but basements flooded citywide. August 3-4, 19511 of 1 
This photo was taken on the CSU campus after the 1951 flood. This storm, the largest 2-day storm on record at the CSU gauge, brought 6 inches of rain to Fort Collins in a 2-day period. At its worst, the storm unleashed more than an inch of rain in 15 minutes. The flooding caused an estimated $500,000 in property damage, with the Colorado A&M (Colorado State University) campus suffering more than half of the damage. September 2-3, 1938This flood brought the "dust bowl" to an end in Fort Collins. After years of drought, the Fort Collins foothills received 6-8 inches of rain. The 1-day total at the CSU gauge was 3.54 inches, resulting in local flooding, especially along Spring Creek. May 20-21, 1904next 1 of 5 
Railroad bridge washed out where Lincoln St. crosses the river in north central Fort Collins. The 1904 flood was the most financially damaging flood on the Poudre River. Torrential rain in the mountains sent melted snow down the river, which flooded the entire north end of Fort Collins and its roughly 6,000 residents. More than 150 homes were swept away and all but one bridge destroyed. Thousands of acres of prime farmland were flooded and destroyed. The estimated peak discharge at the mouth of the canyon was 5,700 cfs. George Strauss, owner of the historic Strauss Cabin, died as a result of this flood and was its only fatality. (The famous two-story Strauss Cabin survived the flood and remained a popular historic site for many years. Arsonists burned it to the ground in 1999.) September 20-21, 1902This storm dropped 6.22 inches of rain at the CSU gauge and is the largest 2-day precipitation total on record. Fossil Creek Reservoir rose 19 feet during this storm June 9, 1891A failed Chambers Lake Dam 50 miles up the Poudre Canyon created a flood that washed out all bridges between the uppermost Poudre Canyon and Fort Collins. June 9, 1864A large spring thunderstorm over Poudre Canyon caused the winter snowpack to rapidly melt, which caused the Cache La Poudre river to swell. As a result, a 20-foot wall of water burst out of the canyon, flooding LaPorte and washing away all cabins, supplies, and livestock from nearby Camp Collins. Because of this flood, officials moved Camp Collins to higher ground (present day Old Town Fort Collins). |
