Saga Of The South Platte River (Denver Flood Of '65) - MP3

      

Butch La Rita  -  Saga Of The South Platte River (Denver Flood Of '65)  (2:21)

In June 1965, several days of extraordinarily heavy rains in the Denver area resulted in massive flooding along the South Platte River.  Hundreds of homes and businesses were completely destroyed as were most of Denver's bridges over the river.  In all, the damages exceed $500 million dollars.  Butch La Rita was there and gives us a graphic first-hand account of the devastion that was left in the flood's wake.

Casualty counts vary, depending on the source.  In a 1999 article, the Rocky Mountain News reported that the flood took six lives, while a 2007 article in the Denver Post attributed "more than two dozen" deaths to the flood.  Wikipedia puts the total at 28.

Following the destruction, the South Platte River was dammed to help prevent future floods.  The project, completed in 1975, resulted in Chatfield Lake in southwest Denver, part of Chatfield State Park.

The images below appear courtesy of the Denver Public Library.

     

Comments

[fred]

The Valverde area south of I-25 & Alameda was wiped out. After the flood, the hotel/bar built near that intersection was called the Valverde Yacht Club, haha. Was torn down a couple of years ago. -Tom (The Denver Eye)

[Dan]

Nice one Greg. The restrained vocals work quite nicely here, though I think it's the opening "trickling water" effects that really do it for me.

[Listener Greg G.]

Thanks, Dan. And you're right about the water effects being a nice touch. Also, blended in with the watery sounds, the rolling drumbeat is surely meant to evoke the sound of thunder.

[ken in denver]

Thanks, Greg! I was 9 years old that summer.

[Water damage]

Unreal - $500 million? I love fishing the South Platte River for rainbows and browns. It's one of the finest, if not the premier fishery in Colorado.

[John]

I was 11 when it happened, living just east of Littleton. The river had been bank-full for three weeks from snowmelt when the 14" of rain hit down south of Castle Rock and Plum Creek exploded. And indeed, I remember Tony Lamonica goving a play by play as the Hampden Avenue bridge collapsed on 950 KIMN.