Campus Alert Archive
CU Boulder

Boulder Creek Overflows Into CU Campus: 400 Students Evacuated as 25% of Buildings Flood in Colorado's Costliest Natural Disaster

COfloodingemergency notificationmedium confidence

Starting September 12, 2013, a week-long rainfall event dumped more than 17 inches on Boulder County, triggering Boulder Creek to overflow its banks into the CU Boulder campus and surrounding community. The university evacuated approximately 400 students from family housing and two residence halls and closed campus for four days, during which flooding damaged 40 buildings representing 25% of campus square footage. The event was declared Colorado's costliest natural disaster in history, causing over $2 billion in statewide damages.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
University of Colorado Boulder
Public R1 · CO
~32,000 studentsCU Emergency Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction389 chars
CU EMERGENCY ALERT: Flash flooding occurring in Boulder. Avoid Boulder Creek and all low-lying areas on and near campus. Do NOT drive through flooded roads. Residents in Athens Court, Newton Court, and Family Housing should evacuate to higher ground. Campus buildings in flood-prone areas may be affected. Monitor alerts.colorado.edu for updates. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The city of Boulder sounded flood sirens at approximately 10:00 PM on September 12, 2013 after concluding Boulder Creek represented a serious hazard, per Water Damage Defense reporting on the 2013 Boulder flood
Evacuation confirmed for Family Housing apartments near Boulder Creek (350 residents) and two residence halls with flooded rooms (13 students), per Higher Ed Dive coverage
CU Boulder's CU Emergency Alert system uses opt-in SMS and email; a flash flood warning specifically mentions registered CU Alert users receiving text and email notifications per the university's own documentation
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction561 chars
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER CLOSED: Due to continuing flash flooding and dangerous road conditions throughout Boulder, the University of Colorado Boulder is closed today, Thursday, September 12. All classes are cancelled. Only essential personnel should report. Flood waters continue to rise in areas of Boulder. Do not drive through flooded roads. CU emergency sheltering is available at the University Memorial Center. Student evacuees from Athens Court and Newton Court should contact Residence Life. Monitor alerts.colorado.edu for reopening information.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

CU Boulder closed Thursday September 12, 2013 due to flash flooding, confirmed by CBS Colorado (CBS Denver) coverage and Time magazine
Campus remained closed through Sunday September 15 per the Provost recovery letter; classes resumed Monday September 16
The evacuation of faculty/staff housing at Athens Court and ground floor of Newton Court continued past the initial night, reflecting ongoing flood danger
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction526 chars
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER REOPENING: CU Boulder will reopen Monday, September 16 for regular operations. While flood damage to 40 campus buildings is being assessed, the university is cleared for return. Evacuation orders for family housing are lifted; residents in Athens Court may return to unaffected units. Some building closures will remain in effect. Travel to campus may be affected by continuing road closures in Boulder County. We appreciate the patience of our campus community during this historic flood event.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

CU Boulder announced reopening September 15 for September 16, a decision that was controversial: more than 3,600 students signed an online petition calling it unsafe, per media coverage
Flooding damaged 40 buildings representing approximately 25% of campus square footage, confirmed by Higher Ed Dive coverage citing university reports
The Provost sent a detailed recovery letter on October 16, 2013 documenting the flood's impact and ongoing recovery efforts
Context

Background

The September 2013 Colorado floods began when a slow-moving low-pressure system stalled over the Colorado Front Range, triggering six days of rainfall unprecedented in the region's recorded history. Boulder County received more than 17 inches of rain in a week, with 9.08 inches falling in a single day on September 12. Boulder Creek, which runs through the center of CU Boulder's campus, overflowed its banks and inundated campus grounds. The university evacuated 13 students from two flooded residence halls and 350 residents from Family Housing apartments adjacent to Boulder Creek. Campus closed from Thursday September 12 through the weekend, reopening September 16 -- a decision that sparked controversy when 3,600 students petitioned for a continued closure, arguing conditions remained unsafe. Ultimately, flooding damaged 40 campus buildings comprising approximately 25% of CU's square footage. The statewide disaster was Colorado's most expensive natural disaster in history, killing 8 people, destroying 1,850 homes, and causing over $2 billion in damage across 18 federally-declared disaster counties. The CU Boulder case became a landmark study in university flood resilience and emergency communication, with the Provost issuing a detailed 30-day recovery letter that documented institutional lessons learned.
Analysis

Key Findings

Boulder Creek runs directly through CU Boulder's campus, creating endemic flood vulnerability that materialized in the September 2013 historic rainfall event
Flooding damaged 40 buildings -- 25% of campus square footage -- making CU Boulder's physical losses among the largest of any single institution in the $2 billion+ statewide disaster
The university's decision to reopen September 16 while other Boulder schools remained closed sparked a 3,600-signature student petition, highlighting tension between institutional and community safety timelines
CU's emergency alert system specifically anticipates flash floods: registered users receive text and email warnings from the flash flood emergency alert protocol
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Historic flooding damages 25% of CU-Boulder campus buildings - Higher Ed Dive
    highereddive.com
  2. Source
    September 2013 Floods - Colorado Encyclopedia
    coloradoencyclopedia.org
  3. Official
    From the Provost: CU-Boulder's recovery from the floods - CU Boulder Today
    colorado.edu
  4. Student Paper
    10 years later: remembering the Boulder floods - CU Independent
    cuindependent.com
  5. News
    Colorado Flood Kills 3, Forces Evacuation - TIME
    nation.time.com
Tags
floodingflash-floodcampus-closureboulder-creekcoloradoevacuationpublic-r12013-colorado-floodsresidence-hall-evacuationhistoric-flood
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion