BEULAH, Colo. (KOAA) — Cleanup efforts are underway at the Beulah Historical Museum in Beulah after Wednesday's storm brought two feet of floodwater that surrounded the building and threatened the irreplaceable archives and artifacts inside.
Heavy rains forced mandatory evacuations in Custer County on Thursday, and residents in the area are bracing for more rounds of rain that could cause more damage.
The dirt across Beulah has been transformed into thick mud, and the museum's exterior and interior are both caked with it.
Kris Allen, secretary of the Beulah Historical Museum, said the flooding was unlike anything the community has seen before.
"It never was like this, and even the old timers will say, you know, this is the worst they've ever seen."
Most of the museum's floors were covered in a layer of black mud, with some areas hit harder than others.
"Most of the floors had a thin covering of this really black mud, and then some of the areas it was thicker too," Allen said.
Despite the severity of the flooding, staff says a catastrophe was avoided. The museum's records were stored high enough to escape the worst of the damage.
"Most of our records were sitting up high enough that the mud did come in here, but I checked in most of the file cabinets; it did not get in them," Allen said.
The same was true for the museum's other artifacts and exhibits. Rags and cleaning supplies have now taken their place on the floor.
Allen said she is relieved history was not lost, but she remains concerned about potential damage beneath the laminate flooring.
"It easily could still be underneath the laminate floor," Allen said.
The cleanup process is expected to last weeks.
"It's still gonna be a big, big project going forward," she adds.
Allen said she was fortunate to have the help of the community. Volunteers installed a wall of sandbags around the perimeter of the building to prevent floodwaters from seeping into the foundation if the rains return.
