Hell or High Water: Floods of Douglas County's First 140 Years

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June 16 & 17, 1965

Perhaps the greatest flood in Douglas County history, the 1965 flood cause massive destruction to highways in the county, shutting down transportation south of Denver for weeks.

A tornado struck Palmer Lake on the Palmer Divide south of Castle Rock. The ground was already soaked from a day of rain the day before, and a torrential downpour caused several inches to fall on the Divide. East and West Plum Creeks, Cherry Creek and Kiowa Creek swelled with water.

By the time the flood reached Castle Rock on East Plum Creek, it was big enough to wipe out Highway 85 (Interstate 25) and all the bridges between south Castle Rock and north Denver.

Sedalia, at the confluence of East and West Plum Creeks, was completely inundated. The Presbyterian Church, Albert Manhart’s house, and a number of other buildings were completely washed away.

By the time the flood reached Louviers and Titan Road, a twenty foot wall of water was rushing down the creek bed.

Denver began shutting down streets, rerouting traffic, and evacuating buildings as floodwaters from the South Platte and Cherry Creek crested through the city.

Throughout Douglas County, helicopters were used to ferry people and supplies across the flooded Plum Creeks, and people rode horses to get supplies across to Sedalia and points west. Eventually the waters receded into Kansas and Nebraska, flooding those states. On the other side of the Divide, the Arkansas River through Pueblo also rose and caused massive flooding.

Click on the photos to see more images of the 1965 Flood.

From the Douglas County News:

FLOODS, WED., THUR., JUNE 16-17, 1965

Wednesday, June 16, 1965, from about 2 p.m., when a tornado hit Palmer Lake, letting loose a torrential rain following a day long rain. Waters accumulated from the run-off down through East Plum Creek and West Plum Creek, various gulches, converging at south entrance of Castle Rock, washed out all bridges enroute. Cherry Creek gathered more water aided by various gulches enroute west Parker and on into the Cherry Creek Dam.

Flooded Plum Creek emptied into the Platte and continued washing out bridges, buildings down through Denver. Thursday, June 17, 1965, tornado warnings in Castle Rock were issued but winds blew the threatening clouds east into the Elbert-Kiowa area where the skies dumped a deluge in the Kiowa Creek – East Bijou Creek and various gulches, creeks enroute north about 6:00 p.m. in the meantime about 1:30 p.m., a tornado had dumped tons of water in the Fountain area, sending waters cascading down the flooding Arkansas River east through Pueblo.

Labeled the “greatest calamity in Colorado history”, the floods rolled through Nebraska and Kansas out of Colorado. At the same time, floods were reported originating in New Mexico also…Helicopters not only aided in evacuation, but also in guiding rescue workers and kept the public continually advised. Town, county and state highway crews worked immediately and constantly to make emergency roads in washed out areas. Civilian relief was set up instantly. Area declared a disaster area by President Johnson following Governor Love’s request.