Watch CBS News

Loveland's 'Cowboy Church' Marks 1 Year Flood Anniversary

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) - A congregation in Loveland came together over the weekend to celebrate the rebirth of their church that was destroyed in the 2013 flooding.

Members of God's Country Cowboy Church celebrated their community's strength with song.

The church was swamped from the inside when flood water came from Big Thompson Canyon and rose and swirled inside the building to a height above five feet.

Loveland
(credit: CBS)

"I stood here the next morning in my mud boots, and I just sobbed," said Mitzi Deal, who runs the church with her husband Pastor Greg Deal.

Deal said news reports about the damage led to a surge in donations.

"I'm grateful, so grateful," Deal told CBS4.

On Saturday the congregation marked the one year anniversary by singing hyms "I'll Fly Away" with a band that wore cowboy hats and played electric guitars. They also raised $30,000 for the continued effort to bring the church back.

RELATED: Pastor Keeps Preaching While Cleaning Up Church After Flood

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.