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Anatomy Of An Epic Colorado Rainstorm

DENVER (CBS4) - On Sept. 9, 2013, an epic storm system began taking shape over Colorado.

As the storm developed over the Great Basin, it pulled in copious amounts of moisture from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

That afternoon, hail pounded parts of Jefferson County, flooding streets and homes; it was just a harbinger of things to come.

The slow moving storm system combined with a cold front that had stalled out of the state.

On the evening of Sept. 11, the skies opened up, unleashing torrential rains that flooded the foothills.

In the dark of night, giant walls of water tore through many of the canyons, ripping apart communities.

On Sept. 12 alone, 9.08 inches of rain fell in Boulder, almost double the previous daily record.

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The torrent ripped way anything in its way, including roads and buildings.

That same day, 11.85 inches of rain fell at Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs, establishing a new state record for 24-hour rainfall.

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As the waters poured out of the foothills and onto the Eastern Plains, a flash flood evolved into a major river flood.

By Sept. 13, the wall of water engulfed the town of Evans, just outside of Greeley.

The waters continued to push east, bringing flooding to communities along the banks of the South Platte River.

The flood finally reached Nebraska over a week after it began, leaving more than 350 homes destroyed with thousands of others damaged.

Hundreds of miles of road were either damaged or destroyed, and eight people were dead.

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