Big Thompson Canyon Community Gathers For Anniversary Of Deadly Flood

ESTES PARK, Colo. (CBS4) - On Wednesday, the community in Big Thompson Canyon came together to remember the catastrophic flood that struck their town in 1976.

The community held their 43rd annual remembrance service next to the flood memorial center in Larimer County. Residents, first responders, family members, and anyone impacted by the flood gathered to honor the lives that were lost.

This year's event was the first time they had turned the service into a potluck. The group hosted a memorial service and scholarships were awarded to descendants of the flood.

On July 31, 1976, the lives of 144 people were lost when storms across Loveland and Estes Park produced a year's worth of rain in only four hours.

A large wall of water swept away hundreds of homes and businesses. Highway 34 was just one of the many structures that were destroyed in the flood.