FLOOD08745

• County: Statewide
• Community: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Colorado Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Date: 12/1/1999
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: Kistner and Associates
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

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Colorado Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan -1999

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Chapter 5 -lmplementaUon Strategies

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5.1 Mitigation Opportunities
While similarities exist among the concepts of hazard
mitigation, strong differences also exist among many
of the strategies available to carry out these concepts,
Warnings and land use application, such as floodplain
regulations and acquisition of open space, are particu-
larly cost-effective mitigation activities especially when
compared to other available strategies, such as relief
and insurance. Effective land use, for example, can
provide very high net benefits and can significanUy
lower future catastrophic loss potentials in a given
community, Other adjustments, except warnings, gen,
erally cost more and yield the possibility for repeated
catastrophic loss.

Although land use decisions are often controversial,
when they are carefully planned and implemented,
enormous savings in life and property can be gener-
ated over a relatively few years, I n Colorado, flood
warning systems and effective land use decisions are
controlled mainly by action at the local level. There-
fore, this plan emphasizes mitigation activities that will
essentially support local efforts,

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5.2 Mitigation Strategies and Actions

5.2.1 Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team
(IHMT)
To reduce damages associated with future floods or
other natural hazards, the federal government has
adopted a comprehensive coordinated strategy to ad-
dress these concerns. An Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) directive, dated July 10, 1980, estab-
lished the basis for Regional Interagency and Intergov-
ernmental Hazard Mrtigation Teams, These teams are
comprised of federal, state, and local representatives

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Fir Mar.lnlarmldal

Appendix A - Includes definitions, acronyms,
and references used in the
preparation of this plan,
Appendix B - Includes information on financial
assistance programs,
Appendix C - Includes tips to minimize loss of
Irte & property in the event of a
flood.
Appendix D - Includes mitigation strategies and
measures.
Appendix E - Includes mitigation planning
examples,

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Chapter 5 . 1

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in an effort to incorporate the background and exper-
tise necessary to promote a comprehensive approach
to hazard mitigation,
The Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team (IHMT) pre-
pares mitigation recommendations for implementation
during the post-disaster recovery phase, and presents
the recommendations to the governor in a report for,
mat. The authority for the IHMT derives from an inter-
agency agreement entered into by 12 federal agen'
cies, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency (FEMA), The agreement established a
common policy statement and implemented guidelines
with respect to flood disaster planning and post disas-
ter recovery practices, An IHMT meeting was held at
the FEMA offices in Lakewood, CO, on June 24,
1999, with participants from federal, state, local, and
private organizations, FEMA staff members prepared
the Long Term Recovery Strategy in response to DR-
1276-CO based on the efforts of the IHMT,

5.2.2 State Hazard Mitigation Team
The State Hazard Mitigation Team is a subset of the
Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Council and rts
subcommittee members are based on the immediate
hazard that team members will address. The team
convened several times to develop recommendations
and review revisions to the Flood Hazard Mitigation
Plan (see Figure 5,1),

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