Do You Remember the 1976 Big Thompson Canyon Flood? [GALLERY]

44 years ago, the most deadly natural disaster in Colorado's history occurred.

July 31, 1976, the Big Thompson Canyon area received over 12 inches of rain over just a few hours. The river in the canyon grew from flowing at just 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) to over 31,000 cfs that night, bringing destruction down the canyon. 144 people died because of the amount and force of the water.

The combination of a state and national holiday, a downed weather warning station, and a torrential rainstorm that remained stationary over the Big Thompson River for several hours, left 144 people dead, according to PBS.

You can see pictures from the original 1976 ABC news broadcasted report below.