FLOOD06461

• County: Larimer
• Community: Estes Park
• Stream Name: Fall River, Lawn Lake
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: The Lawn Lake Dam Failure and the Fall River Flood
• Date: 8/6/1982
• Prepared For: FEMA
• Prepared By: Many
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

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"HAZARD MITlGAITON"

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Hazard Mitigation... "to make or become milder, less severe, less painful"...
or so the dictionary definition reads. It's a concept in disaster preparedness
that has not really been a major consideration of our program in the past, but
under the new FEMA concept, it's a phrase that we're going to learn more about.

Actually, the "mitigation" of a hazard is not really a "new"concept, just one
that people have been reluctant to do anything about as shown in the following
poem written back in "lB9S" by Joseph Malins:

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"Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had sl1pped
A duke, and full many a peasant.
The people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally.
Some said "Put a fence 'round the edge of the cliff,"
Some, "An ambulance down in the valley."

The lament of the crowd was profound and was loud,
As their tears overflowed with their pity;
But the cry for the ambulance carried the day
As it spread through the neighbouring city.
A collection was made, to accumulate aid,
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave dollars or cents-not to furnish a fence-
But an ambulance down in the valley.

"For the cliff is all right if you're careful," they said;
"And, if folks ever slip and are dropping,
It isn't the Slipping that hurts them so much
As the shock down below-when they're stopping."
So for years (we have heard), as these mishaps occured
Quick forth would the rescuers sally,
To pick up the victims who fell from the cliff,
With the ambulance down in the valley.

Said one to his plea, "It's a marvel to me
That you'd give so much greater attention
To repairing results than to curing the cause;
You had much better aim at prevention. .
For the mischief, of course, should be stopped at its source;
Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally.
It is far better sense to rely on a fence
Than an ambulance down in the va11y.

"He is wrong in his head," the majority said;
"He would-end all out earnest endeavor.
He's a man who would shirk this responsible work,
But we will support it forever.
Aren't we picking up all, just as fast as they fall.
And giving them care liberally?
A superfluous fence is of no consequence,.
If the ambulance works in the valley."

The story looks queer as we've written it here.
But things oft occur that are stranger.
Hore humane, we assert, than to succour the hurt
Is the plan of removing the danger.
The best pOSSible course is to safeguard the source
By attending to things rationally.
Yes,' build up the fence and let us dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley.

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