Flash flooding in Coaldale causes severe damage to homes

Heavy rainfall and flash floods ravaged the small mountain community of Coaldale in Fremont County Tuesday night. Flooding damaged homes and properties along County Road 40 and forced authorities to shut down a portion of Highway 50.

Emergency management officials in Fremont County are unsure as to how many properties were damaged, but flash floods totaled one of the homes. Authorities also say three individuals had to be airlifted out. Thankfully, no one was injured or physically harmed in last night’s storm.

Some people were stunned when they saw the aftermath Wednesday, including Daniel Connolly. When Connolly initially purchased the property he was told the property was on a floodplain, but he found that hard to believe.

“I thought, ‘This little creek? It’s not that wide and it isn’t that deep,'” said Connolly. “But Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with.”

Connolly had fences wiped out — his yard is covered in mud and debris, there’s damage to his deck, and his shed is nowhere to be seen. However, he believes he got off lightly.

“Seeing the damages to other homes and properties along County Road 40, just how far the river had overflowed was pretty remarkable, but also pretty scary,” Connolly said.

County officials say the flood water flowed from Hayden Pass due to a burn scar from a fire just two years ago. Two inches of rain fell there Tuesday night, and without any vegetation to absorb the water, it all rushed towards Connolly and his neighbors. County officials say people living in flood lanes like this one need to be prepared at all times.

“We get things like flood watches and flood warnings,” says Fremont Emergency Management Coordinator Jill Filer. “But we can’t stop mother nature and we can’t stop floods from coming.”