J. R. Nelson

On Saturday, July 31, 1976 almost 4,000 people were enjoying the serene beauty of the Big Thompson Canyon. During the evening an intense thunderstorm stalled over a small portion of the canyon, dropping 10 or more inches of rain in a 3-hour period. Because of the steep mountain topography, the rainfall quickly concentrated and formed a virtual "wall of water" which displaced everything in its path. The Big Thompson flood has provided a grim reminder...