Fort Collins, Colorado (AP) — Hikers have found the body of the fourth and last person to die during floods and landslides in a large wildfire-burned area in northern Colorado, officials said.
According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the body of Diana Brown, 57, in San Antonio was found on Saturday. She was flooded on July 20 with Richard Brown, a family member of Bellevue, Nebraska. Patricia Brown in Madison, Wisconsin. David Brown, also from San Antonio.
Richard Brown owned a mobile home in the area, but his residence was in Bellevue, Nebraska, and Fort Collins, Colorado. report.. At the time of the flood, all four victims were in the same house in the small Black Hollow area 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Fort Collins.
The bodies of the first three were recovered a few days after the flood, and the search was suspended on July 29, with no signs of Diana Brown’s body. Another unsuccessful search was conducted on 120 people in mid-September.
Floods and slips occurred in an area burned down last year by the largest 326-square-mile (844-square-kilometer) Cameron Peak fire in Colorado’s history. It usually shoots torch vegetation that absorbs rain and helps keep the ground stable, making these areas more vulnerable to flooding, especially in steep sections. The soil in the burnt area can also repel rain.
According to the sheriff’s office, six homes were destroyed and another home was all damaged on the same road.
Scientists say climate change is responsible for more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as floods and droughts and events such as wildfires. But, if any, more research is needed to determine how much global warming is responsible for a single event.