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

Chapter l-Introduction

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Purpose
In addition to fulfilling the legal obligation under the
Stafford Act. this mijigation plan serves to:

. Recognize and describe flood hazards and their
impacts upon the slate,

. Identify federal. state, and local agencies, identify
capabilities and shortfalls. and assign
responsibilities to: (1) develop programs. activities,
strategies. and recommendations for mitigation;
and (2) monitor and implement pre-disaster and
post-disaster mijigation measures.

. Document existing federal, state, and local
government programs that relate to flood hazard
mitigation,

. Identify and disQJSS aitical issues which. if
resolved. would enhance mitigation efforts,

. Identify and establish mitigation goals. objectives.
and priorities for govemmental actions to reduce
flood damages.

. Offer mijigation strategies and measures for the
state and local government jurisdictions to use in
their planning efforts,

. Guide the State of Colorado and its local
jurisdictions in taking action as may be reasonably
expected to reduce flood damages.

. Document the flood event and recovery process
resulting from presidential disaster declarations,

Fir MDrl 1111.adDD

Appendix A - Indudes definitions. acronyms,
and references used in the
preparation of this plan.
Appendix B - Indudes infonnation on financial
assistance programs,
Appendix C - Indudes tips to minimize loss of
life & property in the event of a
flood,

Appendix 0 - Indudes mitigation strategies and
measures.
Appendix E - Indudes mitigation planning
examples.

1.2 Scope
The scope of the plan is statewide, It is not necessarily
limijed to the declared disaster area because all
streams in Colorado have the potential to flood and
cause damages, regardless of the cause, Both short-
term and long-term opportunijies for flood hazard
mitigation are considered, Furthermore, ideas for
mitigation measures that go beyond existing federal,
state or local funding frameworks have been
evaluated,

The plan does not attempt to consider mijigation
opportunities for some of Colorado's other natural
hazards, such as drought, winter storms, avalanches,
tornadoes, earthquakes, and wildfires, A Wildfire
Mitigation Plan, Landslide Mitigation Plan. and Drought
Plan have been developed and complement this Flood
Hazard Mitigation Plan. Future floods in Colorado are
inevitable, and this plan should be reviewed and
updated annually or as necessary following each major
disaster,

The Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan is not a manual on
what state agencies should do when the next flood or
dam break occurs, Such response procedures are
covered in the Colorado State Emergency Operations
Plan prepared and updated by the Colorado Office of
Emergency Management (see Appendix A -
References),

1.3 Authority & Responsibilities

1.3.1 Federal
The requirement for state governments to prepare a
Flood Hazard Mijigation Plan following a Presidential
Disaster Declaration is stated in Section 409 of Public
Law 93-288, Robert T, Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) as amended
by Public Law 100-707, 42 U,S,C. 5121 ~ and
the Hazard Mitigation and Relocation Assistance Act of
1993, It establishes the prerequisites for state receipt
of federal disaster assistance, The act requires the
identification, evaluation. and mitigation of significant
hazardous conditions attributed to the most recent
disaster. Additional authority is derived from the
following:

. Presidential Executive Order 11988, Floodplain
Management
. Presidential Executive Order 11990. Protection of
Wellands

Chapter 1 - 1

12/241991:16 PM