Is there a part of Colorado Springs area that isn't due for a flood? (Monument: college, live)

[deckdoc]

Just kind of watch where you buy. From my front deck I look straight out over the top of three story apartments and for my yard to be flooded the Home Depit store on the next major block from me would be 60 feet underwater. So it would take a LOT of flooding to affect my home. Colorado springs is listed as 6000 ft. and the zoo is listed as 6800 ft. to get to the grizzly bear exhibit you got 2 stories up on 2 separate elevators from the giraffe pens. With that kind of elevation differences all over town you can find places that WILL flood and places that WILL NOT flood.

[Marcy1210]

Originally Posted by otterprods

That's a great visual aid! So it looks like our best choices are Western CO, So. Carolina or the Nevada basin. Hmmmm, I think I'll choose the Rockies!

Our main "natural" disaster here is wildfire. As long as you don't live on a creek bed or in a box canyon, floods are of minimal concern here because you're usually on a slope and there is plenty of area for the water to disperse to. Manitou and the Hwy 24 corridor to Woodland Park have seen horrific flooding this year, but that's a product of topography and geography specific to that area. If you're planning to build a home, you'll need to learn or consult an expert about flood mitigation to make sure runoff is always directed away from your foundation, especially if you have an underground basement.

The destructive floods alond Hwy 24 are due mostly to wildfire burn as there's no vegetation left to slow down the water runoff. That area has been known to have occasional rock slides or debris fall off the walls of the canyon, and CDOT has put mesh in place to reduce rock slides, but the recent floods are a direct result of the Waldo Canyon fire. Until vegetation returns to slow down precipitation run-off, the canyon will continue to flood from heavy rains, or rapid snow melt.

[allprolab]

So do you people who know the area better think there still would have been a fair amount of flooding along 24 with the amount of rain the last few days excluding the burn scar factor? As in had the fire not happened, how bad would flooding be in Manitou and along Fountain Creek?

[suzco]

Originally Posted by allprolab

So do you people who know the area better think there still would have been a fair amount of flooding along 24 with the amount of rain the last few days excluding the burn scar factor? As in had the fire not happened, how bad would flooding be in Manitou and along Fountain Creek?

angels, how many will fit? what-ifs; the fire *did* happen. What difference does it make now?

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by Marcy1210

there's no vegetation left to slow down the water runoff... the recent floods are a direct result of the Waldo Canyon fire.

= Topography - def. 2b: The physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships.

Originally Posted by otterprods

a product of topography... specific to that area

[allprolab]

Originally Posted by suzco

angels, how many will fit? what-ifs; the fire *did* happen. What difference does it make now?

It was an innocent question, no need to get worked up.

[StarrySkiesAbove]

Allprolab, I'll throw in a quick answer for you as a native of the Springs who has lived here over 40 years. Manitou and Fountain Creek had some big flood events in the past. The results of the burn scar make it more frequent and bring down a lot of debris, however a slow moving massive rain event like we had will flood those areas with or without the scar. Look at what is happening to Cheyenne Creek in Cheyenne Canon.

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by allprolab

It was an innocent question, no need to get worked up.

No it would not be as bad if not for the burn scar in most cases. But with this much rain, flooding was inevitable in places like Waldo Canyon and elsewhere along the front range.

[lalahartma]

My home is doing well - Hillside neighborhood.

[allprolab]

Thank you starryskies and otter.

Has monument creek ever flooded downtown? What about shooks run creek, has it ever flooded? We are in shooks run and the thought of flood insurance has now crossed our mind. I say it's a waste. She thinks it might be worth looking in to.