The Storm That Wrecked Cheyenne, 40th Anniversary

It's hard to imagine that the storm that changed Cheyenne happened 40 years ago.

WyoHistory.org released an article on the anniversary of the big storm that goes in-depth on what happened, why, and the aftermath.

August 1, 1985 was a typical summer storm that blew completely out of proportion.

By the time it was over, twelve lives were lost and seventy people were injured.

There was $61 million in damage, equivalent to approximately $145 million in today’s dollars.

It all began around 6:00 p.m. when a supercell thunderstorm became locked in place over Cheyenne by the jet stream.

Unlike other storms, this one remained stationary and grew to epic proportions.

Weather forecasters described the event as an “upslope system” that caused four to six thunderstorms to develop over the western edge of the city.

This was seen as a once-in-500-year storm.

It lasted three hours.

Overall, 7.87 inches of rain fell.

There was enough hail to bury cars.

Hailstones measuring up to two inches in diameter pummeled the city, accumulating in nearly foot-tall piles before being swept by powerful winds and rushing water into drifts reaching three to six feet in height.

Some witnesses reported seeing hail piled up to 10 feet deep.

Winds reached 70 mph, and the storm system spawned several funnel clouds.

To read the full story in great detail, visit WyoHistory.org. The Great Cheyenne Flood of 1985: A Devastating Storm That Changed Wyoming’s Capitol