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<br />3. Begin preparati.ons fOll:' closing Highway 55 and have <br />the closure structuJ:'e in place within 10 hours of <br />receivJ.ng the alarm. A general inspection of the <br />levee and culvert flap gates should be carried out to <br />make sure that everything is ready for a major flood. <br />4. Close county l~oads, subjec:t to overflows with <br />assistamce from the I::c)unty Sheriff Departments and <br />evacuate people in threat,ened areas. <br />5. Note that if the river was .~lready partially full <br />before the heavy rains came and caused the upper <br />float to go off, the stream c;ould flood much faster <br />than indicated by the 1:imes in Table 4. This is why <br />observer and volunteell~ reportE' are important during a <br />flood. <br /> <br />5.2.5 Although it is unlikely that snow melt or ice jam <br />flooding on the South Platte River wou,ld be severe enough to <br />require the operation of t,he closure structures, the automated <br />alarm gage should work dUl~ing 1::hat type of flood. No attempt <br />was made to assign a return pericld to 1e,vels of ice jam or snow <br />melt flooding. :nood warnings should be taken seriously any <br />time an alarm message is sent. <br /> <br />5.3 Flood Warning System Managllment <br />5.3.1 An effective response to flood alarms and the operation <br />and maintenance of the system requires that individuals <br />understand their responsibilJ.ties before a flood. <br />Additionally, as time passes, vacancies in flood emergency <br />positions must be filled. <br /> <br />5.3.2 The following positions ne:ed to be designated: <br />5.3.2.1 Flood Co,ordinator <br />1. Responsible for deciding when to begin closing <br />Highway 55. <br />2. Sends volunteer flood watcheI's to check on flooding <br />upstreallD of town. <br />3. Contacts observers and gets reports of rainfall and <br />river c,onditions upstre,am. <br />4. Contacts the National Weather Service Office in <br />Limon to get a rainfa,ll forecast and to advise them <br />of South Platte River flooding. <br />5. Delegates work to volunteers and selects <br />replacements for vacancies. <br />6. Notifies county, stat',a and federal agencies of major <br />floodin.g. <br />7. Works with county andl, state c.fficials to .:oordinate <br />the clclsure of road!iI and evacuation of lOW-lying <br />areas. <br />8. Scheduhls tests lmd dl:i1ls. <br />9. Must have the 8u1:hor11:y to make quick decisions. <br />10. Must have access to a second phone to contact <br />observers and coordinate the flood response without <br />tying up the phone and bloCking incoming flood <br />alarms. The flood coordinator should delegate <br /> <br />23 <br />