Debris Flow in Colorado, October 19, 2016

Name: Debris Flow in Colorado, October 19, 2016
Start: 2016-10-19T07:14
End: 2016-10-19T07:15
Location: Colorado

October 19, 2016 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A series of freeze thaw cycles was the likely cause of a large landslide with lots of large boulders.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5,000
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.

A series of freeze thaw cycles was the likely cause of a large landslide with lots of large boulders.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.

Debris Flow, Gunnison

When: October 19, 7:14 AM MST to 7:15 AM MST
Where: Gunnison County, 5.24 mi SSE of Ragged Mtn to 5.21 mi SSE of Ragged Mtn
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 39.030, -107.364

About 100 tons of dirt and boulders came down onto a section of Highway 133 at about mile marker 29.5. The debris flow was likely due to soils that were loosened after extensive rainfall earlier in the season, combined with recent freeze-thaw cycles. The highway was closed for a few days as the debris was being hauled away.

What these are

Debris Flow: A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Colorado in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, October 2016

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 664244.