The plaque reads:
2013 Colorado Front Range Flood September 9 - 15, 2013
About midnight on September 11, 2013, at the height of torrential rains and non-stop lightening, Linden Drive suddenly became a river. Debris flows from the mini-canyon to the west filled the stream here, washed part of the road away, and covered the rest.
The debris flow slammed into the vehicle which Wiyanna Nelson, Wesley Quinlan and their two friends were riding. Wiyanna and Wesley were both killed. A volunteer firefighter happened by just in time to rescue the other two.
Daring rescue efforts occurred in other parts of our fire district about the same time. Members of the Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District (BMFPD) figured prominently in most of these.
The firefighters and medical responders undertook rescues, evacuated residents, identified and marked hazards, checked on homes and residents, helped to organize and coordinate initial relief efforts, and in general helped to provide round-the-clock organization and support in the face of disaster and chaos.
Many agencies and departments within Boulder County, the City of Boulder, and other cities and towns worked 24/7 for days to provide rescue, medical assistance, emergency transportation, clearing of roads, emergency/temporary road construction, law enforcement, traffic control, and a wide range of other emergency services. Of particular note were the efforts of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Boulder County Transportation Department, and Boulder Office of Emergency Management.
Neighbors helped neighbors to prevent loss of life, injury and damage to property. When homes were damaged and/or destroyed, families were provided aid, shelter, food and clothing by other families. Neighbors who had equipment, tools, and skills helped others dig out, performed emergency road repair, helped in the evacuation, helped with shovels and buckets, collected and transported possessions and furniture to safety, and many more acts of neighborly assistance.
Special recognition goes to the Pine Brook Water District and its staff for maintaining water service throughout the disaster and for obtaining power generators and heavy earth-moving equipment to begin emergency repairs, free fire vehicles trapped by landslides, and clear roads.
As of the September 15, 2018 dedication of this memorial, recovery efforts were still underway throughout Boulder County. People were still rebuilding houses, and infrastructure was still being repaired. The County Flood Recovery Program and many more assistance organizations continue to help people navigate the process.
The fact this memorial site exists and that the various neighborhoods within the Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District are all doing well is a tribute to individual and community resilience. Community cohesiveness and support enables people to persevere, endure and accomplish wonderful and extraordinary things in the face of major obstacles and significant adversity.
=====
Additional information may be found at (
visit link) , (
visit link) , (
visit link) and (
visit link) .