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I. BACKGROUND A. INTRODUCTION On the night of July 12, 1996, a thunderstorm occurred in the area of the community of Buffalo Creek, Colorado. The storm produced heavy precipitation over a short period of time. A flash flood occurred along Buffalo Creek, Sand Draw, Spring Gulch, the North Fork of the South Platte River (North Fork) below its confluence with Buffalo Creek, and several other tributary streams in the area. Two lives were lost as a direct result of the flooding. Roads, bridges, water lines, and other utility lines were damaged or destroyed. Numerous homes, outbuildings, and vehicles were damaged or destroyed as well. A large quantity of sediment and debris was carried from the watershed and deposited along the affected stream reaches. Although the geographic area affected was smaller than in some other floods, the July 12 Buffalo Creek flood event was truly a disaster. Other smaller scale floods occurred in Buffalo Creek between June and September of 1996 as well. In May of 1996, less than two months before the July 12 flood event, a wildland fue burned about 12,000 acres of forested area in the Buffalo Creek vicinity. The fire burned intensely and quickly, leaving behind charred timber and a barren landscape devoid of vegetation and ground cover. The burned soils exhibited hydrophobic (water repelling) properties, and the burned area's natural erosion control and runoff inhibiting characteristics were altered by the fue. Those conditions, in conjunction with a heavy rainstorm on July 12, were the recipe for disaster in Buffalo Creek. B.PURPOSEANDSCOPE The purpose of this report is to provide residents of Buffalo Creek with a single document that contains an emergency response plan, information on flood hazard mitigation, and information on flood hazard awareness. This docurnent is intended to be an informational guide with basic information that should be useful to Buffalo Creek residents. Family members and guests who plan on residing in or visiting the Buffalo Creek area during the months of May tluough September should familiarize themselves with the pertinent portions of this guide. Since the threat of flash flooding could exist for many years to come, it is higWy recommended that residents review the emergency and safety information each spring before the flood season begins. History has shown that the lessons learned from the events of a flash flood are sometimes forgotten within a short amount of time. In addition, new residents and visitors to the area may have no appreciation or knowledge of the devastating power of a flash flood. Existing residents should try to assist any newcomers by sharing valuable information that could save lives and property. C. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Colorado Water Conservation Board would like to thank the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, the Jefferson County Emergency Management Department, and the North Fork Fire Department, for their dedication and assistance to the community of Buffalo Creek during and after the forest fire and flash flood events. The Emergency Response Plan presented in this report was obtained from the "Emergency Disaster Plan" that was originally prepared by Mr, Grant Macdonald of the Jefferson County Sheriffs department. That plan was edited by CWCB staff and is reprinted in this report for the benefit of the community's residents, I