Colorado, 1997

Flash Flood in Colorado, September 21, 1997

September 21, 1997 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Flash flooding brought down an enormous amount of mud and large rocks onto a stretch of the westbound lanes of I-70 from the Palisade exit to one mile east of the exit. Mud 3 to 4 feet deep covered the road, along with boulders the size of cars.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

Flash flooding brought down an enormous amount of mud and large rocks onto a stretch of the westbound lanes of I-70 from the Palisade exit to one mile east of the exit. Mud 3 to 4 feet deep covered the road, along with boulders the size of cars. The westbound lanes of I-70 were closed for two days while road crews worked to clear the road and repair the damage.

The radar

The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 22 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Mesa

When
September 21, 2:30 PM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where
Mesa County, Palisade
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
39.018, -108.466 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, September 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5617294.