Storm hits harder than hail

Tivoli drainage system no match for Mother Nature

By Jesse Stephenson
The Metropoltian

A rain and hail storm that pelted Denver the afternoon of Aug. 11 took an expensive toll on Auraria.

The storm, which the National Weather Service rates as one of the top ten worst storms in Denverâs history, dumped 1.3 inches of water on the Metro area over the course of two hours.

That 1.3 inches caused a tidal wave of damage on campus. Jim Kelly, director of Facilities Management, said damage has been estimated between $50,000 to $70,000 although insurance adjusters have yet to assess the Tivoli and other campus buildings.

ãAnd that estimate is on the low side,ä Kelly said.

Barb Weiske, the director of  Campus Auxiliaries, said the flooding was responsible for knocking out $25,000 worth of fire alarm systems in the Tivoli, breaking several windows, ãswiss-cheesingä Tivoli awnings and causing wooden floors to buckle.

There were no injuries reported at Auraria, but the deluge of hail  left portions of the Tivoli parking lot submerged under almost two feet of icy water.

Students who waded through the knee deep pools were greeted either by a stalling car or a traffic-jammed, waterlogged drive to Auraria Parkway.

Floodwater also invaded the roof and walls of the 131-year-old Tivoli, but some damage was prevented, thanks to a storm warning issued by Auraria police and the quick mobilization of Auraria employees, visitors and students.

Weiske said Auraria police officers phoned about five minutes before the storm hit with news of a severe storm warning. The warning was important since the Tivoli has a long history of flooding in the wake of rainstorms, Weiske said.

ãGetting the warning probably made a difference as far as damage control goes,ä Weiske said. ãBut the storm reached a point where it was way beyond anyoneâs control.ä

Weiske and many other people in the Tivoli helped to sandbag doorways and lay down cardboard mats to help absorb the water flowing into the building from leaf-clogged storm gutters outside the building.

Dick Feuerborn, director of Facilities Planing for Auraria, said his office will seek state money for improving Aurariaâs storm drainage systems.

But not even the best drainage system is infallible, he said.

Feuerborn recalled a conversation about drainage systems he had with a campus manager at Colorado State University, which was severely flooded in late July. Feuerborn said his Fort Collins counterpart remarked that even the best drains are no match for Mother Nature.

ãHe told me, ÎIf you ever wanted to make a foolproof storm drain you would have to build one so wide you could drive a Mac truck down it,âä Feuerborn said.

Feuerborn said he expects the state, which insures Auraria campus buildings, will pay for the damage caused by