Historic Colorado flood spawns massive volunteer effort in Lyons that continues 10 years later
The town of Lyons marked the 10-year anniversary of one of the most devastating floods in Colorado state history with a candlelight vigil.
The 2013 flood killed nine people and caused more than $4 billion in damage across 17 counties.
Lyons was among the hardest hit communities. Seventeen inches of rain fell in two days, causing massive flooding in the town. The St. Vrain Creek swelled to 10 times its size, swallowing homes, businesses, roads and bridges and turning Lyons into a series of islands. But while the town was isolated, it wasn't alone. In the weeks that followed, an army of volunteers from all over the world descended on Lyons.
While the aid workers knew what to do, they didn't know where to go. That's where Lyons Volunteers came in. The group of residents put their lives on hold to organize an extraordinary recovery effort.
Mayor Hollie Rogin recalled how the town came together: "The saying at the time was and still is 'Lyons was a community and became a family.'" She says Lyons Volunteers helped to bring that family home.
Bernie Dreistadt was a founding member. He says they gathered supplies, organized teams of volunteers, and assigned jobs: "The first thing we did was go and talk with the homeowners who were shell-shocked and taking shovels and digging out the muck clearing out river rock from around the property."
They not only cleaned homes; 200 were impacted but worked for years to rebuild them.
"We just wanted to help in any way we could," says Dreistadt.
Rogin echoed the sentiment: "We help each other. It's just what we do."
Ten years after the flood, the spirit of volunteerism continues. Lyons Volunteers helps residents with everything from yard work to fire mitigation as part of LEAF -- Lyons Emergency and Assistance Fund -- which also provides food, rental assistance and mental health and addiction recovery support for residents.
"I'm proud of this entire community," says Rogin. "I'm so honored to be the mayor."