Big Thompson Flood Exhibit Marks 50 Years

Loveland Museum retrospective remembers 144 lives lost while exploring recovery and resilience

By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com

LOVELAND — Fifty years after one of Colorado’s deadliest natural disasters, the Loveland Museum is helping Northern Colorado remember the people, places and stories forever changed by the 1976 Big Thompson Flood.

Connected by the Canyon: 50 Years Since the Big Thompson Flood is on display in the museum’s Dunning Gallery through Nov. 28. The exhibition uses photographs, maps, recovered objects and oral histories to tell the story of the canyon before, during and after the disaster.

On July 31, 1976, catastrophic flooding swept through the Big Thompson Canyon between Loveland and Estes Park. The disaster claimed 144 lives and affected thousands of residents and families throughout the region.

Rather than focusing solely on destruction, the exhibition also explores what happened afterward. Stories and artifacts highlight the work of neighbors, emergency responders and community organizations that came together during the recovery.

The exhibit is especially timely as Northern Colorado marks the flood’s 50th anniversary. Organizers of the anniversary commemoration have also donated flood memorabilia to the Loveland Museum for preservation and future public viewing.

Visitors on Saturday, Aug. 29, can pair the exhibition with a special museum presentation examining the future of flood forecasting and water operations. Scientists and water experts will discuss how forecasting tools and changing weather conditions could help communities better understand future flood risks.

The exhibit is at the Loveland Museum, 503 N. Lincoln Ave. The North Forty News calendar lists it from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28.

Source: Loveland Museum — Connected by the Canyon

Explore more Northern Colorado history, arts and community events in the North Forty News Community Calendar:
https://northfortynews.com/local-calendar/

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