So, I'm in Estes Park, Colo., and all of the sudden there's this major flood going on around me that's making national news.

FLOOD HISTORY...THIS CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS CREST OF 7.9 FEET ON AUG 1 1976.

Source: The National Weather Service

I've been hearing about the Big Thompson River flood in 1976 since I saw Cowboy Brad sing a song about it a few months back at a freebie YMCA outdoor concert. Yesterday, the reverse 911 system awoke the valley Estes Park was sleeping in. Since then, all cell service for all carriers has been out. With no 3G/4G or even Edge coverage, it really is like 1976 in some ways.

Luckily, it's not actually 1976, so I can catch some Instagram videos and share them along with some storm-calming deep house to watch them to. OK, the music is more for me because being in the worst freak flood this state has seen in three decades is, well, freaky, but it's still excellent nonetheless so you should play it while you read:

In this moment I knew it was time to leave:

Then, the river that was once a road started bringing us gifts from upstream and evacuation with dogs in tow happened ASAP:

The evacuation place was all well and good until last night around midnight when I couldn't sleep because of the sound of the water raging below:



Here's the same area this morning:



For now, the power (and thus Internet) is still on. Everyone in Colorado could use some good ol' North Carolina vibes/prayers/whathaveyou right about now if you've got 'em!



Slideshow image credit: Kevin J. Beaty

UPDATE: I was on WBTV Prime Time news reporting from the scene of the flood! Have a look:

UPDATE, AGAIN: The WBTV follow up coverage: Article teaser image credit: me