AURORA | Heavy rains pummeled Aurora streets, flooded basements and cars, ravaged roads and stranded some without power or gas for days, and still, Aurora officials say, it could have been worse.
Although the city fared well during the flood compared with other cities such as Lyons, Boulder and Greeley, city crews are counting damages well into the millions of dollars.
Exposed wires, tubing and other debris protrude from washed out sidewalks, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A street light lies in a sinkhole Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A street light lies in a sinkhole Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Asphalt pavement breaks off into a sinkhole, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora resident Frank Campbell walks his dog Hank along a sinkhole Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora resident Frank Campbell walks his dog Hank along a sinkhole Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Asphalt pavement and sidewalk breaks off into a sinkhole, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Asphalt pavement and sidewalk breaks off into a sinkhole, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Asphalt pavement and sidewalk breaks off into a sinkhole, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora resident Ron Spicer surveys the destruction in his backyard, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Asphalt pavement, sidewalk, and fences break off into a sinkhole, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora resident Ron Spicer surveys the destruction in his backyard, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Jerry Reimann, a traffic signs and marking specialist with the City of Aurora, ties up caution tape, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A foot-and-a-half of sand piles up at a park after Thursday’s storm, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A foot-and-a-half of sand piles up at a park after Thursday’s storm, Sept. 16 between East Florida Avenue and East Mexico Avenue on South Peoria Street in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rainwater from last week’s storm recedes Sept. 16, at Expo Park in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rainwater reached record levels at Kelly Dam near Westerly Creek in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rainwater reached record levels at Kelly Dam near Westerly Creek in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rainwater reached record levels at Kelly Dam near Westerly Creek in Aurora. City officials are assessing damage to streets, bridges and parks across the city after more rain fell in Aurora over the past four days than normally falls in a year. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A variety of debris fills the sides of East Alameda Avenue, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
An Aurora resident fights with his stalled car, Sept. 12 near near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Mark Beem, director of operations for Red Lobster, sorts through debris, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A variety of debris fills the sides of East Alameda Avenue, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Utah Park’s baseball diamond is underwater, Sept. 12 in Aurora. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
High currents of rainwater flood residential streets, Sept. 12 near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. Officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
An Aurora resident fights with his stalled car, Sept. 12 near near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Sebastian Hurtado, 7, picks up he teddybear David, after accidentally dropping it in rainwater, Sept. 13 near Expo Park. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Sebastian Hurtado, 7, wrings out his teddybear David after accidentally dropping it in rainwater from Thursday’s downpour, Sept. 13 near Expo Park. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Darius Taylor, 9, plays in the flood water, Sept. 13 near East Alameda Avenue and Havana Street in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Wet rags dry out for reuse, Sept. 13 at Fat Boy’s Bar and Grill. The bar has been closed since mid-day Thursday and has been waiting for power to come back on to reopen. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A bulldozer cleans up debris that filled up East Alameda Avenue during Thursday’s downpour, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Debris from Thursday’s downpour fills the wheel well of a car, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rainwater floods East Alameda Avenue, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Police block off East Alameda Avenue so crews can clear debris from South Havana Street, Sep. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A 7-Eleven is closed after Thursday’s downpour, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Thursday’s downpour washed up debris along East Alameda Avenue, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A variety of debris fills the sides of East Alameda Avenue, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A goose lands in the flooded Expo Park, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
April plays in the water that filled up Expo Park after Thursday’s storm, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Larry Shatswell and handfuls of other Aurora residents headed to Expo Park to take photos of the newly formed lake after Thursday’s downpour, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rain water from Thursday turns Expo Park into a lake, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Water overflows into Expo Park, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora resident Larry Shatswell is one of many residents to check out Expo Park after Thursday’s downpour, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Water overflows into Expo Park, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
City crews clean up East Alameda Avenue after Thursdays downpour, Sept. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Police block off East Alameda Avenue so crews can clear debris from South Havana Street, Sep. 13 in Aurora. The city is beginning a clean-up phase, clearing roads, removing debris and determining the extent of flood-related damage. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
A submerged vehicle sits along I-70 East while traffic slowly passes by, Aug. 13 in Aurora. The city continued to recover Friday from record flooding. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora Firefighter Joe Hill helps Aurora resident Elizabeth Williams evacuate her submerged vehicle, Sept. 12 near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Firefighter Joe Hill helps Aurora resident Elizabeth Williams evacuate her submerged vehicle, Sept. 12 near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Firefighter Joe Hill fights a current of heavy rainwater to help Aurora resident Elizabeth Williams evacuate her submerged vehicle, Sept. 12 near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Heavy currents of rainwater flood the streets, Sept. 12 near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora resident Elizabeth Williams waits for firefighters to arrive, Sept. 12 near East Mexico Avenue and South Troy Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rain water floods Utah Park, Sept. 12 in Aurora. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rain water floods off of I-225, Sept. 12 in Aurora. Police shut down southbound I-225 between Alameda and Mississippi. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rain water floods off of I-225, Sept. 12 in Aurora. Police shut down southbound I-225 between Alameda and Mississippi. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Rainwater fills street side drains, Sept. 12 in Aurora. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora Police Officer Matt Neely directs traffic away from Colfax, Sept. 12 at East Colfax Avenue and Moline Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
Aurora Police Officer Matt Neely directs traffic away from Colfax, Sept. 12 at East Colfax Avenue and Moline Street. Police said they are now closing Peoria from from Iliff north for an undetermined length as Utah Park continues to flood the area. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
An Aurora resident tries to stay dry during a downpour of rain, Sept. 12 near East Colfax Avenue and Florence Street. City officials said today that rain totals have now surpassed the 100-year-flood mark and that extensive flooding is a problem on streets across the city. (Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel)
“We came out of this very well, and I know it’s hard to believe with all the water,” said Aurora Water spokesman Greg Baker. “But our system moved the water as fast and as best as it could, and did an excellent job of it.”
There were problems with the city communicating road closures to residents and its own police and fire staff, problems finding an evacuation point for residents, and also frustrations between city officials and residents who insisted on driving through flooded streets.
The city estimates that Aurora received the same amount of rain in a week that it gets in an entire year, although it did little damage to infrastructure and property. Their two saving graces were Expo Park and Utah Park, which experienced severe overflow but still detained much of the water, Baker said.
“That was water that wasn’t going into people’s homes,” he said.
Baker said that the city had experienced a 500-year flood, or a flood that has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring in a year. The city was designed for a 100-year flood, or a flood that has a 1 percent chance of happening. Between Sept. 9 and Sept. 14, the city received 14.5 inches of rain; the city gets an average of 15 inches of precipitation annually, Baker said. To put this in another perspective, if this had come in the form of snow, it would have been about 12 feet of snow in three days. Systems that did work highlighted the need for more of them.
“This points to the need for more detention areas,” Baker said.
Aurora police Officer Frank Fania, a spokesman for the department, said the lack of injuries was a welcome surprise considering how extensive the flooding was.
“It’s amazing no one was swept away in some of the streams that we had,” he said.
The fact that police and city workers recognized some of the trouble spots early on helped stave off any injuries, Fania said.
At East Mexico Avenue and South Peoria Street, for example, crews recognized early on that sidewalk damage was likely a sign that the road was unstable, so they closed a lengthy stretch of Peoria. Sure enough, a short time later, a massive chunk of the road collapsed, something that could have caused major problems had motorists been on the road at the time.
Listening to police radio traffic throughout the flood, there were moments of confusion as officers standing in the pouring rain tried to coordinate street closures with city crews. Fania said the were no major incidents or communication problems, just the types of difficulties that come with any chaotic emergency situation. At the height of Thursday’s flooding, police frustrated with motorists disregarding officers’ orders and driving around barricades said they would start issuing tickets to drivers who kept it up.
Fania said he wasn’t sure if officers ended up citing motorists for those types of violations, but if it happened there would have been very few citations.
“The officers didn’t have time to stop the cars and write the tickets,” he said.
Several motorists disregarded warnings and drove through flooded streets that stalled their cars and left them stuck.
“You can never tell exact how deep it is, and by the time you realize (it) it’s too late,” he said.
Workers now assessing damage
Aurora faced bad weather through the weekend after a hailstorm pounded the city Sept. 14. That caused leaves to fall off the trees and clog several storm drains including those drains north of East Mississippi Avenue. Aurora Water crews said they were working on clearing those storm drains and assessing damage in other areas. Baker said the department would likely incur significant costs in paying crews overtime to cleanup damage from the storm.
“We’re still in evaluation and recovery mode,” Baker said. “We have crews still going out looking for places that may have gotten washed out. Our first priority is to make sure our system and infrastructure is intact.”
The city’s Public Works department, though, is already facing road reconstruction costs of between $1 million and $5 million, said Chris Carnahan, manager of the city’s public works operations. Peoria Street from East Mexico Avenue to East Florida Avenue suffered the worst damage and will have to be closed for months.
“Half of the road is just gone,” Carnahan said. “The electric lines and telephone lines are all laying down in the dirt because (the rain) scoured all the soil and half of the asphalt.”
The department is soliciting proposals from contractors to rebuild the road as soon as possible. “We have hopes of getting it done by the beginning of winter,” he said.
Other problem areas are East Alameda Avenue between Ironton Street and Moline Street, where the sidewalk is collapsing, and East Iliff Avenue between Tower Road and Telluride Street where the asphalt is misshapen.
Crews are currently assessing any damage to bridges this week, though none of them seem to be washed out or damaged, Carnahan said.
As the flood waters continued to rise Thursday afternoon, city officials became increasingly concerned about the Kelly Dam on Westerly Creek.
Aurora Water manages the dam, which is on the Denver side of the border, near East 10th Avenue and Yosemite Street. Usually, the dam on Westerly Creek sits dry, but the steady downpour last week filled the reservoir on the south side.
Tom Ries, manager of water operations and maintenance for Aurora Water, said the water department received calls from Denver officials worried that the dam might breach because they saw water pouring from a spillway.
But, Ries said, the dam has two spillways that worked perfectly last week.
“There was never any danger of any breach on the dam,” he said.
But because the dam so rarely sees that much water, Ries said inspectors from the Army Corps. of Engineers inspected it after the flood and said no work needed to be done.
Looking ahead
As the rain subsided and the city dried out, Aurora residents are now looking at repairing damage sustained from the flood. The standard homeowners’ insurance package isn’t likely to cover the kind of damage that resulted from heavy rains. According to Bryan Dean, an Aurora agent with American Family Insurance, coverage for flood damage is only available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other government groups.
“Once the water hits the ground and enters the home, there’s no coverage from any insurance company,” Dean said, adding that the standard homeowners’ insurance covers hail damage, lighting strikes and other natural disasters. “We’re not able to help people at this point. You end up getting those famous five words: ‘Why do I have insurance?’”
But Aurora homeowners bailing out flooded basements aren’t eligible for that kind of federal money at this point. According to Matt Chapman, disaster coordinator for the city, Arapahoe County did not qualify under the FEMA declaration. The county could still qualify for federal reimbursement for money that went to protective measures, but residents are out of luck at this point.
“That’s not saying we won’t be,” Chapman said, adding that the city is totaling damages to city infrastructure, private residences and businesses across the city. “We’re pulling together damage estimates and the number of homes that were affected. That will all go through Arapahoe County, up to the state, to FEMA and the feds.
“It’s not a quick process at all. Those numbers are going to change,” he added.
On Sept. 17, Adams County opened a Disaster Assistance Center to connect victims with flood-relief resources including how to apply for FEMA assistance. The center is located at 6060 E. Parkway Dr. in Commerce City and will be open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sept. 21.
“It’s important that all residents and property owners who have experienced flood-related damage or losses report their information to the Disaster Assistance Center,” said Adams County officials in a statement.
While the city could eventually qualify for federal disaster recovery funds, it also has about $10 million in reserves for emergencies including unexpected weather events, said Jason Batchelor, the city’s finance director. That might help cover the cost of recovery for city infrastructure.
“This is why we maintain reserves, for emergencies exactly like this, for these type of events,” he said. Batchelor expects to have an estimate on flood damage costs within a week, in time for the Oct. 5 Aurora City Council budget workshop.
Health Risks
The Tri-County Health Department cautioned homeowners to be aware of electrical hazards from floods. “When there’s water in the basement and electricity is involved, the risk of shock is certainly significant,” said Tom Butts, interim public health officer for the Tri-County Health Department, which covers Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
He also advised residents to be up-to-date on their vaccines, especially tetanus shots.
Another risk is sewage, although sewer lines didn’t break in the Tri-County area like they did in other cities. Still, Butts advises people to minimize their contact with sewage water and wear boots, gloves and protective glasses whenever possible, especially with sewer water in homes. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, raw sewage can contain E. coli, salmonella, parasites and viruses.
Mold in homes is also a possibility. Tri-County Health Department officials suggest letting the house air out before staying in it, and using a “wet-dry” shop vacuum or sump pump to remove water. Don’t turn power on or off when standing in water, and have an electrician check the house’s electrical system before turning the power on again, officials say.
Mold can also cause allergies or asthma attacks, and lung infections, especially if a person has a chronic lung condition or a weak immune system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reporters Adam Goldstein and Brandon Johansson contributed to this report.
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