Jul 28, 1999
A photographer was out of his vehicle taking pictures on the flanks of Mount Sopris and became trapped by a flash flood which inundated his van with water and mud. The flash flood also washed out the road. The initial wall of water was 10 feet high, while the crest of the flash flood was about 15 feet high. The water and debris crashed into several culverts, causing them to explode; eight-inch steel I-beams were twisted like straws.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5715330). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Pitkin County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.