Recovery Planning and
the Colorado Floods
Iain Hyde, Deputy Chief Recovery Officer
Colorado Disaster
History
• 1997 – Fort Collins Flood
• 1999 – Arkansas River Basin Floods
• 2002 – Wildfires
• 2008 – Windsor Tornado
• 2012 – Waldo Canyon and High Park Fires
• 2013 – Black Forest Fire
• 2013 – September Floods
Recovery Frameworks
• Presence of a framework enhances coordination and
responsiveness, expands conversation beyond standard FEMA
recovery programs
• National Disaster Recovery Framework
• Recovery Support Functions – lead and support agencies
• Coordination with states, support to locals
• Better leverages knowledge and resources across the Federal
Government
• State of Colorado Draft Recovery Plan
•
•
•
•
Under development before floods; operational
Incorporated lessons from 2012, 2013 wildfires
State Recovery Support Functions – What if FEMA isn’t coming?
Recovery coordination starts at onset of events
Pre-Disaster Planning
• State Agencies needed to be organized for Long Term Recovery
• Function if federal resources are not available
• Align with Federal resources when they do come
• Focus on:
• Capabilities
• Structures and Actions
• Timing and flexibility
• Local Communities pre-flood: Primarily planned for specific capabilities
(debris management, damage assessment, etc.)
• However some starting to develop more comprehensive pre-disaster plans
• Assign responsibilities
• Develop locally appropriate Recovery Support Functions
• Use best practices from other communities, but customize for local
structures, issues, needs, etc.
RSFs in Colorado
September Flood Disaster
Summary
By the Numbers
•
18,147 evacuated
•
16,557 approved for Individual
Assistance
•
479 Families in Transitional Sheltering at
peak
•
485 miles of damaged or destroyed roads
•
18 Counties approved for Public
Assistance, 11 for Individual Assistance
•
NFIP, SBA, Individual Assistance: $430
million
•
Public Assistance: Projected $400 Million
•
FHWA (Roads): Projected $450 Million
•
CDBG: $262 Million
Local Communities
• Driving forces in recovery
• Ultimately the ones that live
with the decisions made and
actions taken in recovery
• In charge of visioning; Need
to be thoughtful, deliberative
yet move quickly
• Think about steps to reduce
risk from the next event as
early as possible
Post Flood Disaster Recovery Planning
and Visioning
•
Agencies Involved: Communities(citizens, local
governments, businesses), Department of Local
Affairs, FEMA Community Planning and
Capacity Building, University of Colorado at
Denver, Colorado Office of Emergency
Management
•
Parallel Processes: Stream Corridor Master
Plans, Stormwater Master Plans, floodplain
mapping/risk assessments
•
Important Considerations:
• Locally driven
• Community engagement
• Strategic, tangible and achievable
•
Current Status: Some plans under development,
some just getting started
Considerations for PostDisaster Planning
Considerations for Post
Disaster Planning
• Timing – When is the Community ready? When is it too late?
• Urgency – How quickly do you develop a post-disaster plan?
• Public Engagement – How do you leverage input and
engagement of community members?
• Issues – What sectors impacted? Where are there opportunities
for mitigation, resiliency, enhancements?
• Other Plans – Mitigation Plan, Comprehensive Plan, Capitol
Improvements, Zoning, Sustainability
• Leverage documents that already exist
• Need for tangible actions
Questions?
Iain Hyde, CFM
Deputy Chief Recovery Officer
Colorado Recovery Office
iain.hyde@state.co.us