FLOOD04676

• County: Statewide
• Community: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Colorado's Vulnerablility to Very High Risk Natural Hazards
• Date: 1/1/1983
• Prepared By: Division of Disaster Emergency Services
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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which place priorities on developing the response capabilities
most needed locally. These assessments and allocations of
priority a,re variables and they fluctuate with changes in
local, state, federal and even the international environment.
Currently these assessments and priorities must continually
reflect Colorado's growing population and the new vulner-
abilities and costs which are constantly developing. To the
extent this study reflects local needs, and stimulates a
deeper understanding of preparedness, so its utility should
be judged.

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To establish meaning of the term vulnerability, it is
useful to note that people become vulnerable to natural
hazards when they choose (knowingly or unknowingly) to live
near the areas where these extreme events occur. Vulnera-
bility is also related to preparedness. People who prepare
for the occurrence of an extreme event are less vulnerable
to it than those who do not. The vulnerability of Colorado's
population is rooted in a relationship between the occurrence
of extreme events, the proximity of people to these occur-
rences, and the degree to which these people are prepared to
cope with these extremes of nature.

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