Watch CBS News

Evans Flood Victim Has Message For Federal Government

EVANS, Colo. (CBS4) - When the South Platte River spilled out of its banks in Evans early on Sept. 13 Sara Warner had to hang on to a stop sign for dear life as her home crumbled.

"I was thinking 'Good Lord!' Thank you God that I was right there and I could see the firemen and they could see me and they were trying to figure out how to get me. That's all I could think about," she told CBS4 on Sunday while wearing her face mask to avoid breathing in any mold or other contaminants at the site of her damaged home.

Evans Flooding
Sara Warner shows CBS4's Rick Sallinger the flood damage around her home (credit: CBS)

FEMA says it has given out more than $12 million in emergency funds to help Colorado flood victims. It's a figure that's expected to rise.

Vice President Joe Biden will fly over parts of Weld County that were hit hardest by the flooding on Monday, and it's possibile he might fly right over Warner's house.

Warner says her message to Washington is "Send Aid!"

"Housing or anything to get going. We've lost our cars, our home, our clothes. Everything we own. Everything. Every document, everything you can possibly think of -- gone," she said.

Much of Northern Colorado is left under water. Oil storage tanks were tipped over, causing spills. Gov. John Hickenlooper toured the area on the ground Sunday to survey the environmental impact.

"When you put infrastructure on a floodplain and you get a 100 year, or in this case perhaps a 500 year flood, you're going to have consequences," Hickenlooper said.

John Hickenlooper
Gov. John Hickenlooper in Weld County on Sept. 22, 2013. (credit: CBS)

Hickenlooper will meet with Biden and a representative of FEMA on Monday while the people of Evans try to salvage what they can that hasn't already been taken by floods, or humans.

Valentine Marquez told CBS4 people were looting in some of the flooded homes, many of which were mobile homes.

"People were walking in and out with TVs and instead of their papers. We came for his pictures -- his child's pictures -- and they were taking little canoes with TVs. That's all they were taking, was the expensive stuff," he said.

Colorado Floods: How To Help

The recent floods are impacting families and communities throughout Colorado, so CBS4 has compiled a list of ways you can support the local communities impacted by the floods.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.