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. Walls/Levees/Berms. Individual walls, levees, or berms can blJ used to protect one or several buildings. The cost varies, depending on the typc ofprotcction used and the level of flood protection required. Generally, wall, are the most costly and small levees are the lea,t costly. This technique may be justified for one or several isolated buildings which are subject to frcquent flooding at rnoderate flood leve Is, One problem associated with this type of flood proofIng is that sufficient room is normally not availahle for levees. Aeeess problems are caused by either levees or walls, and at levels of more thana few feet, they are likely to be aesthetically unaccept.lb!c. Additionally, because of the associated problems, these structures may be limil<:d to lower-level flooding and may not providcprolcction or rcduce damages at less frequent but more severe kvels of flooding. sienificantlv reduce the potential forlossoflifeand,to some extent ,redllcedamagesby - . moving contents to higher elevations and evacuating vehicles. Currently, Fort Collins does not have a flood warning system on Dry Creek. Based on a reconnaissance-level analysis, it was determined that a flood waming system may be effective for reducing the potential for loss of life and, if feasibility studies were conducted, a detailed assessment of a flood warning system may be warranted. An effective emergency evac- uation plan would consisl of: (1) a warning system; (2) a m~s of disseminating an evacuation order 10 the pcoplc; and (3) a means of establishing evacuat ionprocedllres, evacuation routes, and shelters for evacuees during a flood. Becauseofth eshortpeaking time on Dry Creek, a flood warning and emergency evacuation plan alonc would not be an effective means of reducing flood damages. . Raising. E.levating existing stTUctures to eliminate or reduce flood damages is a method of flood proofing. This approach is generally the most costly and is only feas- ible in exttcme situations with frequcnl flooding. Additionally. thc e!o.:vation of an existing structure can make it less accessible and is often considered an aesthetic detriment. fLOOD Il\StTRANCE Flood insurancc would reduce the financial cffect of flood losses by distributing these losses over time and to larger populations. Existing flood damage potcntial would not be reduced because neither floodplain land use nor the incidence of flooding would bechangcd. ~WOJl W^RNI:'\G A:'\D EMERGE\'CY EVACUATION" An effective flood warning system includes flood forecasting, flood warning, and emergcncyevacuation. Forecasting reliabilitydepellds on the size of the drainage area ar.d other hydrologic factNs_ The fea\ibilit)' ofa warning syslem depcnds on the avail. able communications network and the <.li~trihution of people In the flood plain. Accurate forecasts and warnings that permit sufficient time to evacuate the flood plain can Flood insurance has been availabk to property owners in the Dry Creek flood plain for over a decade. Both thc City of Fort Collins and Larimer County have passed the necessary land use regulations for their respective juri>di~tions and have cnrolled in FEMA's regular flood insurance program, The City enrolled in the regular flood insur- ance pTl'lgram in 1uly 1979. and the county enrolled in this program in April 1979. In 1990,109 structures within the city and 395 structures in the unincorporated part of the county were insured as part of the flood Insurance program. It is not known how many oflhe insured stru~ture,are located within the Dry Creek flood plain. Flood proofing could be considered forspedfic high-darnagestructures that are subject to flooding, Generally, it is not considered a feasible alternative for resolving flood problems on Dry Creek, 53 5.4