No Other Flood Victims Found in Colorado

Searchers with body-sniffing dogs made a last sweep through the twisted metal and muddy belongings of two flood-ravaged mobile home parks Wednesday to make sure they hadn’t missed any victims.

Five women died and 40 people were injured after a downpour Monday turned a creek into a rampaging wall of water. After early reports that all the missing had been accounted for, rescuers went back in to take another look through the 90 devastated trailers, just to be sure.

By evening, authorities determined there was indeed no other victims but said they needed to clear away dangerous debris and safeguard gas lines, barring residents from returning before early today.

The rain forced normally docile Spring Creek over its banks, massing into a pool of water that overcame an embankment near the trailer parks and slammed into them with a 20-foot-high torrent.

The caramel-colored water was still high Wednesday, but watermarks stood out on trees and railings more than 10 feet higher. Clothing, a muddy mattress and other debris were still scattered in bushes along the creek’s path. Piles of metal, insulation, tree branches and bicycles littered the trailer park’s slowly hardening goo.

Also devastated was the campus of Colorado State University, where 18 buildings had damage estimated at $40 million.

Flood waters soaked 1 million library books, destroyed the campus bookstore and heavily damaged a television studio.

About 1,000 homes and 150 businesses in the city were also damaged by the water. There was no immediate estimate on the cost of the damage, but Gov. Roy Romer said the state has set aside a $5-million flood relief fund and is seeking federal help.