2013 Flood survivor Joyce Kilmer tells her story: As daylight broke on Friday, Sept. 13, I began to see the damage the water had done. Nothing was left of where Evelyn and I had lived but a deep hole gouged 60 feet into the ground.
Anyone who has made the drive up the Big Thompson Canyon from Loveland to Estes Park has driven past Cedar Cove, although few likely realize it. Gazes are far more likely to fall on the stunning vistas and tree-lined cliffs or remain fixed on the winding road and the dizzying drop that would follow if a driver stops paying suitable attention. A small side road at the end of a long curve in U.S. 34, barely visible if you aren’t looking for it, is easily overlooked.
Since this week marks the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy that struck Weld County and surrounding communities, the Tribune is recapping how the devastation unfolded, all beginning on Sept. 9.