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<br />LESSONS of RECOVERY - A REviEw of TkE 1 997 COlORAdo Flood DisASTER
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<br />Volunteers and law enforcement officials distributed information about the center and available assistance
<br />door-to-door in Atwood, which was also the focus of large-scale volunteer clean-up efforts.
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<br />State agencies representing emergency management, housing, insurance; labor and employment, human
<br />services, and business development were represented at the Sterling center, in addition to the principal federal
<br />agencies offering flood relief (SBA, FEMA, USDA Farm Service Agency and Rural Development).
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<br />The immediate housing needs of flood victims in Atwood and Sterling were met by the American Red Cross,
<br />who provided vouchers to individuals and families for hotel and other short-term accommodations. A service
<br />center was established at Sterling High School to address lodging as well as other needs like food and
<br />clothing. Northeast Colorado Housing, Inc. and the Sterling Housing Authority filled gaps in state and
<br />federal housing assistance by providing rental assistance and low-interest loans to flood victims. The
<br />Northeast Colorado Association of Local Governments provided local residents with housing rehabilitation
<br />and weatherization assistance. To complement SBA and other federal assistance, business loans and
<br />technical assistance to business owners were made available by the Small Business Development Center,
<br />Northeastern Colorado Revolving Loan Fund, Logan County Revolving Loan Fund and the Northeast
<br />Colorado Association of Local Governments.
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<br />To improve interjurisdictional coordination in the wake of the flood, city and county emergency services
<br />agencies formed the Logan County/Sterling Disaster Preparedness Committee, a joint planning committee
<br />representing city/county management and elected officials, law enforcement, fire services, health and EMS
<br />providers, hospital and nursing home centers, local public schools, Northeastern Junior College, Colorado
<br />State Patrol and the new correctional facility in Sterling. The planning committee has met every other month
<br />since the disaster in order to improve and coordinate emergency plans, clarify responsibilities and lines of
<br />authority, identify training needs, formalize shelter arrangements, and improve warning and notification
<br />measures with regard to the hospital, college and nursing homes. The committee has also conducted several
<br />training exercises to validate new plans and procedures,
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<br />The Logan County Flood Recovery Task Force, operating under the nonprofit umbrella of the Cooperating
<br />Ministry of Logan County, provided a total of $134,181 in direct assistance to 55 county residents with unmet
<br />needs as a result of the disaster (and one Phillips County resident).
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<br />By the anniversary date of the flood, Logan County had substantially completed all flood-related road and
<br />bridge work, including 38 projects approved under FEMA's Public Assistance program at a total cost of
<br />$612,816.
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<br />Mitigation
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<br />A large-scale, post-disaster mitigation project, known as the Pawnee Overflow Project, has been approved for
<br />funding by city, county, state and federal agencies. The project is a joint undertaking by the city and county and
<br />is intended to protect flood-prone areas in both jurisdictions (including Atwood) during future flood events of a
<br />similar magnitude. The project includes channel improvements in Pawnee Creek near Atwood and new diking
<br />and channeling above Sterling to divert overflow drainage into the South Platte River. The estimated cost of the
<br />project is $2,865,000, which will be shared by Sterling and Logan County ($950,000), the State of Colorado
<br />($1,100,000), and FEMA ($815,000 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds).
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<br />In spite of the Pawnee Overflow Project, many Atwood residents have raised new and rebuilt home foundations
<br />three feet or more to protect against extraordinary flood events. At Northeastern Junior College, a f100dwall has
<br />been constructed to prevent floodwaters in the future from entering Dowis Residence Hall, where carpets and
<br />drywall had to be replaced after the flood.
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<br />COlORAdo OffiCE of EMERGENCY MANAliEMENT
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