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Help Fort Collins Be Flood Ready, Flood Awareness Week, July 9-15

Posted on: Jul-06-2016

Fort Collins Utilities is sponsoring Flood Awareness Week (FAW), July 9-15, and encourages individuals to become “flood ready” through education regarding the reality of floods and by taking steps to minimize personal, financial and environmental loss.

Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, commonly experiences monsoonal moisture during the last two weeks of July and first two weeks of August, which can lead to slow moving storms and heavy rainfall. Flooding in Fort Collins also can occur as a result of snowmelt in the spring and intense thunderstorms at any time.

It’s important for community members to know the risks and be aware of the steps they can take to protect themselves, their families and property. The floodplain maps change frequently due to infrastructure improvements and updated mapping. Currently the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is remapping the Poudre River. Preliminary maps for the Poudre River are expected in 2017. Interactive floodplain maps can be viewed at fcgov.com/floodplain-maps.

Flood insurance is an important consideration. Remember: (1) Only flood insurance covers floods; (2) You don’t have to be in a floodplain to get flooded; and (3) Everyone in Fort Collins can purchase flood insurance. Recently, the City of Fort Collins was awarded a FEMA Community Rating System Class 2 rating. This rating has resulted in Utilities’ Stormwater program ranking in the top one percent of programs nationwide and customers can qualify to receive up to a 40 percent discount on flood insurance. Learn more at fcgov.com/flood-insurance.

To help residents stay informed about local streamflow levels and precipitation amounts, Utilities operates a flood warning system with 75 gauges located throughout the Fort Collins area. When the gauges exceed a set level, Utilities and Office of Emergency Management personnel are notified and take action. Real-time data can be viewed at fcgov.com/floodwarningsystem, as well as on smartphones.

To further increase safety, all Larimer County residents are encouraged to sign up for free emergency notifications on landlines, business phones, cell phones and via text and email messages at leta911.org. Residents also can follow Utilities’ various social media updates (fcgov.com/utilities).

Other tips can be found at redcross.org/prepare. Learn to be “Red Cross Ready.” Get a kit; make a plan; be informed. And, during a flood, remember to never drive through floodwaters. Less than one foot of flowing water can float a vehicle.

During Flood Awareness Week, mailers with flood hazard data, emergency preparedness tips and additional information will be sent to floodplain residents and property owners.

The following videos are available at fcgov.com/flood-safety and also are shown on FCTV (fcgov.com/fctv):

  • Fort Collins’ Flood Mitigation Efforts (new)
  • Building Smart Down by the River (new)
  • The State Climatologist: Honest Broker of Information (new)
  • Tools for Flood Resilience: Lessons from Fort Collins (new)
  • Fort Collins’ Flood Warning System
  • Fort Collins’ Flood of 1997
  • Poudre River Restoration (new)
  • Water’s Fury
  • Moving Water: Adventure or Danger?
  • Floods
  • Flooding Safety: Turn Around, Don’t Drown

 

Informational displays and handouts will be available at:

  • Downtown Library (201 Peterson St.)
  • Harmony Library (4616 S. Shields St.)
  • Council Tree Library (2733 Council Tree)
  • Fort Collins Museum of Discovery (408 Mason Ct.)
  • Northside Aztlan Community Center (112 E. Willow St.)
  • Building and Zoning Services (281 N. College Ave.)
  • Customer Service Division (117 N. Mason St.)
  • City Building (215 N. Mason St.)
  • City Hall (300 Laporte Ave.)
  • Utilities Service Center (700 Wood St.)
  • CSU Morgan Library (1201 Center Ave.)
  • CSU Lory Student Center (1101 Center Ave.)
  • CSU Student Recreational Center (951 Meridian Ave.)

 

For more information, visit www.fcgov.com/stormwater, email utilities@fcgov.com, call 970-221-2900 or V/TDD 711. 

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