President Barack Obama declared Thursday that a major disaster exists in Colorado and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides during the period of May 4 to June 16.
Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in the counties of Baca, Elbert, El Paso, Fremont, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma.
In requesting the funds, Colorado’s emergency management office said that since 1995, Colorado has had nine major disaster declarations and five emergency declarations. In addition, four declarations, including the Royal Gorge and Black Forest wildfires and the High Park and Waldo Canyon fires, remain open.
Of the $20 million, El Paso County, which had the Black Forest and Waldo Canyon fires, said its estimated damage from this spring’s weather was almost $14 million.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide, The White House said on Thursday.
