Colorado is appealing to federal disaster managers for a major disaster declaration as a result of severe weather and flooding this spring and early summer that heavily affected 11 counties.
The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management submitted its request Wednesday to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
State officials say storms between April 16 and June 20 left major damage in Baca, Elbert, El Paso, Fremont, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington and Yuma counties.
“The preliminary damage assessments show a combined total of nearly $20 million in damages across the 11 counties,” Colorado’s emergency management office said in a Thursday news release. The office added that since 1995, Colorado has had nine major disaster declarations and five emergency declarations.
At present, four declarations, including the Royal Gorge and Black Forest wildfires and the High Park and Waldo Canyon fires, remain open, the agency said.
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. From April 20 through June 28, the county reported rainfall on 66 of 70 days; three days (May 9, June 12 and June 16) had rainfall of more than 3 inches.
Rainfall in May was from 300 percent to 600 percent above average.
Colorado has asked FEMA that a public assistance grant be provided to assist in the cost of debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair, replacement or restoration of damaged, publicly owned facilities and infrastructure.
Federal forecasters say rainfall has been record-breaking across much of the Front Range during the past several months.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
