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<br />1998 - Colorado Rood Hazard Mitigation Plan (409)
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<br />Chapter 2 - Hazard Identification and
<br /> Evaluation
<br />2.1 People and Hazards
<br /> Webster"s Definitions
<br />Relationships between flood hazards and population Flood: a temporary condition of
<br />identify patterns of risk, as shown in figure 2-1_
<br />Relationships between patterns of risk and steps taken inundation of normally dry
<br />toward preparedness explain degrees of vulnerability land areas
<br />to which various Coloradans are exposed.. Hazard: a source of danger
<br />Such relationships are not new to Colorado_ The Mitigate: to cause to become less
<br />natural phenomena involved have occurred here long harsh or hostile, to make
<br />before people settled near them and were impacted by less severe
<br />them_ Risk grows from the increasingly close associa- ,.-i:.h." ,~ ::-1,'--1__" .>.--1." l_",,",!-i. < .,' ".'; '.' .".'. '.'.H' ~.~,' !-.~ .! ,~,lY
<br />tion between natural phenomena and a growing popu-
<br />lation_ value of property, including structures and contents,
<br />People become vulnerable to hazards when they exposed to the 1 DO-year flood in Colorado is estimated
<br /> to be over $11 billion dollars_ Cumulative flood losses
<br />choose (knowingly or unknowingly) to live near the from the turn of the century to 1993 from the state's
<br />areas where these extreme events occur Vulnerability most damaging floods are $3_3 billion (1995 dollars)_
<br />is also related to preparedness_ People who prepare
<br />for the occurrence of an extreme event are less vulner- 2.2 Types of Hazards
<br />able to tt than those who do not The vulnerability of
<br />Colorado's population is rooted in a relationship be- 2.2.1 Floods
<br />tween the occurrences of extreme events, the proxim-
<br />ity of people to these occurrences, and the degree to Floods in Colorado occur on "riverine" systems con-
<br />which ttiese people are prepared to cope with these sisting of a basin (or watershed) and a hierarchical
<br />extremes of nature_ order of stream channels which convey the normal
<br /> flow of water through the watershed_ The area adja-
<br />Today, flood prone areas have been identified in 268 I cent to the channel is the f100dplain_ Flooding results
<br />cities and towns and in all of the 63 counties in when the flow of water is greater than the normal
<br />Colorado_ Using information supplied from local units carrying capacity of the stream channel. Rate of rise,
<br />of government, there are estimated to be approxi- magnitude (or peak discharge), duration and fre-
<br />mately 250,000 people now living in Colorado's flood- quency of floods are a function of specific physic-
<br />plains_ The Colorado Water Conservation Soard graphic characteristics_ Generally the rise in water
<br />(CWCS) estimates that approximately 65,000 homes surface elevation is quite rapid on small (and steep
<br />and 15,000 commercial and industrial business struc- gradient) streams and slow in large (and flat sloped)
<br />tures are located in Colorado's floodplains_ The total streams.
<br /> ,.. .. . . Coloraclo Flood F1acts - :. L'
<br /> .. . . :
<br /> Counties/CitiesfTowns with Flood Prone Areas 268
<br /> Population of 100-Year Floodplain 250,000
<br /> . Homes in 100-Year Floodplain 65,000
<br /> Commercial/Industrial Businesses in 100-year Floodplain 15,000
<br /> Total Value of Property in 100-Year Floodplain $11 Billion
<br /> Cumulative Flood Losses from Turn of Century to 1997 $ 3.3 Billion
<br /> Soun:.: cwes Figure 2.1
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<br />Fl/e:FHMP-Chapter-2.pub
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<br />Chapter 2 - 1
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<br />112919810:12 AM
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