A northern Colorado man is lucky to be alive after drowning in his apartment at the end of May. The man, a 62-year-old Greeley resident, was rescued by Greeley Fire Department firefighters at the end of May after a historic hail and rainstorm.
The storm happened on May 28, pummeling downtown Greeley with more than four inches of rain and feet of hail in just a matter of two hours. Much of the flooding, which later resulted in a disaster declaration, took place after the drainage system clogged in the aging corner of Greeley.
Greeley Fire Chief Brian Kuznik said hundreds of 911 calls came in during the storm as some residents were trapped in their homes while others were stranded while standing on top of their submerged vehicles.
“The number of calls for people stranded in basements continued to come in,” Kuznik said. “The 911 system became overloaded and the entire fire department was out responding to these calls for assistance.”