[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 153 (Thursday, September 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H8180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            COLORADO FLOODS

  (Mr. POLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago this week, Colorado was struck by 
devastating floods. From Fort Collins, to Estes Park, to Lyons, to 
Boulder, dozens of communities were hit with unprecedented amounts of 
rain that gave way to rivers and tributaries overflowing, with huge 
amounts of damage, including the loss of eight lives.
  When the floods came 5 years ago, we committed to one another to be 
Colorado strong and to rebuild.
  I am proud to say that, in the years since the flood, I have been 
amazed by the resiliency of so many families. For my family, it meant a 
flooded basement and the loss of some of our treasured family 
photographs we stored there. For others, it upended their lives.
  Stu and Sarah Jane were new parents to their 9-month-old daughter 
when the flood waters demolished their house in Fourmile Canyon. 
Shortly after receiving a reverse 911 call, the canyon gave way. The 
family escaped to a firehouse, and, after 2 days, a National Guard 
helicopter flew in, transporting them to safety.
  There are so many stories of so many Colorado families, and the 
smallest difference in circumstances would have meant that many 
families wouldn't be alive today.
  In the last 5 years, communities have come together to repair roads, 
trails, homes, and businesses. This resiliency and grit that 
Coloradoans showed the week of September 9 through September 16, 2013, 
as rains fell, was matched only by the sense of community and tenacity 
that took hold as the waters subsided.

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