Gov. Hickenlooper Declares Disaster Emergency for 14 Colorado Counties

Statement

Gov. John Hickenlooper today signed an Executive Order to declare a disaster emergency due to the flooding affecting 14 counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, Washington and Weld.

The order authorizes $6 million for the Disaster Emergency Fund from the General Fund to pay for flood response and recovery. The governor gave verbal approval for this disaster declaration on Thursday; the Executive Order was signed today.

"Beginning on Sept.11, 2013, heavy rainfall fell west of Interstate 25 from south of Colorado Springs to the Wyoming border. The greatest impact as in Boulder County, where up to eight inches of rain fell. Rainfall continues with the National Weather Service predicting another 2-4 inches on September 13. While authorities cannot conduct damage assessments until the rainfall subsides and the flooding recedes, known consequences are three fatalities, three injuries, damage to a natural gas distribution pipeline, power outages, at least two structures destroyed, water damage to approximately 40 buildings on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus, isolation of the towns of Estes Park, Jamestown, Lyons and Nederland, damage to U.S. Highway 34, closure of numerous roads and damage to the Town of Lyons wastewater treatment system," the order stated.

Source