7 Numbers That Show How Nuts Colorado Flood Was

To say it's been a wet month in Boulder, Colorado, may just be the understatement of the century—or the millennium. The Christian Science Monitor reports that "the numbers tell a tale of a thousand-year flood," and backs up that statement with some pretty stark figures. Here are seven that stand out:

1. The storm dumped 15 inches of rain, obliterating the May 1969 record of 7.37 inches.
2. And there's an even bigger gulf between the total amount of rain Boulder has seen this month (17.17 inches) and what it usually logs in September (1.5 inches).

3. Some 9.08 inches fell last Wednesday alone, nearly doubling the previous record of 4.8 inches of rain in one day—from 1919.
4. The size of the flooded area has been estimated at 4,500 square miles, which is easy to visualize—just picture Connecticut.
5. 1,502 homes have been destroyed and another 17,494 damaged.
6. Between 50 and 100 bridges were completely washed out or hit hard.
7. Six major roads have been closed for the "foreseeable future."

Click for more numbers, including one related to the biggest airlift operation since Katrina.