I was 24 years old in 1976. Married for just two years and my first child would be born in 1977. We had been vacationing with family in Rocky Mountain National Park during the last week of July. The entire week prior to the July 31 flood was marked by big thunderstorms, violent lightning, booming thunder and heavy, heavy rain. Mid-week, we backpacked to Lawn Lake for an overnight in tents that year. No sleep because of the echoing thunder off of Mummy Mountain. The ground was saturated prior to the highly unusual 12" rain event in the park in just 4 hours. My family drove out through the Big Thompson Canyon in the predawn darkness on Saturday morning in a torrential downpour. When we arrived in Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, we were shocked to hear of the deaths of more than 100 people. (Ultimately, 144 deaths.) A 100' high wall of water swept through the canyon drowning many campers and homeowners. We may have been one of the last cars to safely travel the canyon heading East on that day. The road through the Big Thompson Canyon was wiped out in many areas for many months. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. It was a sobering, sad event. I think about it every time I drive through the BT Canyon. There's been a nice memorial there for several years. I took time today to stop and photograph.
For this challenge, I doubt the memorial image will do very well. I don't care too much. The memory of the event and the fine memorial mean a lot to me, regardless of the votes it receives.
26 votes <4 is very harsh voting for an okay image which meets the challenge. And, no one left a comment.
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