When the massive metal tank filled with sticky brown molasses that rises up over her crowded North End neighborhood explodes, young Carmen must fight for her life, as a tsunami of molasses rushes through the streets.

Teaches children about floods, discussing what causes them, how they affect the world, who helps people affected by floods, and how to prepare for a flood.

This report summarizes key factors associated with each flood event, such as: storm location and characteristics, rainfall data, hydrologic and hydraulic investigations, descriptions of flooded areas and flood damages, flood damage estimates, and flood mitigation efforts. Additional documentation for these events, including contact information, photographs, and hydrologic/hydraulic computations, is provided in each chapter.

On Saturday, July 31, 1976 almost 4,000 people were enjoying the serene beauty of the Big Thompson Canyon. During the evening an intense thunderstorm stalled over a small portion of the canyon, dropping 10 or more inches of rain in a 3-hour period. Because of the steep mountain topography, the rainfall quickly concentrated and formed a virtual "wall of water" which displaced everything in its path. The Big Thompson flood has provided a grim reminder...