The Colorado Floods

All Mark Changaris and Stephen Smith of Boulder, Colorado could do is stand by recording with a camera and watch the water flow into the house and over the balcony to the first level and out the front door. When the river of water stopped rushing into their house Mark just started to play his piano. This is one of the many stories of those effected by the flooding in Colorado. But like many residents, they are not letting this event take their spirit away.

Mark and Stephen's Story:
(http://www.upworthy.com/watch-a-man-playing-piano-in-his-house-after-the-floods-for-a-heartbreaking-reason-am2-5c?g=3)

Photo from www.accuweather.com

Photo from USAToday

Thousands of residents of Boulder, Colorado have been effected by this storm system that has created flooding through out 17 counties. The flood destroyed 1,500 homes, according to Colo. Office of Emergency Management, and more than 11, 750 people have been evacuated.

“The good news is we’ve got 16 helicopters,” said John Schulz, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office in hard-hit Larimer County, about 60 miles north of Denver for The New York Times. “The bad news is they can’t go anywhere.”

Rains on Sunday prevented rescue efforts to continue for those who are still stranded with no way of getting out. Power, cellphones, and landlines have been out since early last week.

Monday the water receded enough that residents
could return back to their homes. Most of these homes, however, have been destroyed and are covered in a layer of thick muck.

What is causing this flooding?
The reason the flooding is happening is because a blocking pattern keeps drawing moisture up from the tropics. This blocking pattern is a system of atmospheric pressure that is nearly stationary causing whether systems not to change. Currently there is a blocking pattern that is bringing moisture from the tropical region up through the US. When this high moisture air hits the Rocky Mountains it is forced up into the atmosphere and condenses into heavy rain clouds.

Until this blocking pattern dissipates it will continue to rain. Some scientists are already contributing this event to global warming and the effect that it may have on the global climate.