GREELEY, Colo. — A record amount of rainfall in one day led to severe flooding in Greeley, resulting in one death and extensive property damage. Numerous homes were flooded, and some were destroyed. Among those affected were Dennis and Caree Rinebarger, long-time Greeley residents who are now unable to live in their home.
The Rinebargers have experienced storms and flooding before, but never anything like this.
“The most we've ever had was six inches... it's never been as deep as it was and never that quick,” said Dennis.
On Tuesday night, around 10 p.m., water flooded through their front door and filled their basement with two feet of water within minutes.
“We were trying to figure out how to keep the water from coming into the basement, and that’s when one of the basement windows broke,” Dennis recounted. “At that point, we're like, there's nothing we can do now. It was done.”
With their home filling with water, the Rinebargers switched to survival mode, abandoning efforts to clean up or salvage their belongings.
“All I cared about was making sure we were all safe,” said Caree. “At that point, it doesn’t matter what you have; it matters who you have.”
By 11:30 p.m., the basement was filled with more than four feet of water, and both of their cars were submerged. The fire department arrived and rescued the family from their home.
Standing outside that night, the Rinebargers felt a mix of relief and disbelief.
“Your entire property is submerged, your cars are underwater, and it’s unbelievable... Knowing how quickly something can come and completely change your life,” said Caree.
The next day, the Rinebargers returned to their home to find the basement in ruins, with a line of dirt above six feet marking the flood’s high point.
“My biggest thing seeing the house... was God, am I blessed that my children were not sleeping and nor were we when this happened,” Caree said.
Both of the kids' rooms were in the basement, and they had to escape with only the clothes on their backs. They lost all their belongings — clothes, computers, shoes — everything.
“Most of those things are replaceable, but it’s still hard,” said Caree.
What isn’t replaceable are the memories, including belongings of Caree’s father, who recently passed away, that were stored in the basement.
Now staying with friends, the Rinebargers are facing an uncertain future.
“Our hearts go out to everyone because we weren’t the only ones affected,” said Caree. “We’re going to have good days and and we know we're going to have bad days while we figure this all out. But we're going to do it together."
If their house is deemed safe to live in, it will still be months before the Rinebargers can return. Their ability to rebuild depends on whether their insurance will cover the damage. To help with their recovery, friends have started a GoFundMe campaign.
Despite the hardship, the Rinebargers say they are hopeful and committed to rebuilding their lives, one day at a time.
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