Colorado Wildfire and Flood Awareness Safety Awareness Week Article from the Colorado Office of Emergency Management
The Question: What do floodplain managers and emergency managers have in common?The Answer: Water… too much of it, and the responsibility to keep the community safe from its impacts.
The Message: It is beneficial for floodplain managers and emergency managers to know, understand, and support each other.
Flood prone areas have been identified in 267 of 270 cities and towns and in all of the 64 counties in Colorado. Between 20 and 30 large magnitude floods (in terms of peak discharge) occur somewhere in Colorado every year. In fact, 40% of Colorado’s presidentially declared disasters and emergencies stem from flood-related events. Too often, floods negatively impact people, property, infrastructure and critical facilities, economic and cultural assets, and the natural environment.
Enhancing coordination between floodplain managers and emergency managers will strengthen the community’s preparation, response, and resilience to flooding, as many of their responsibilities run parallel with one another. Regular communication and a better understanding of each other’s roles may improve the sharing of information and insight, create of efficiencies, and reduce the amount of unnecessary overlap in activities. Collaboration between these professions will result in partnerships and increase the whole community’s ability to manage a flood event.
For more information go to the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s March 2012 Floodstage Newsletter on page six and seven to answer the following questions:
- Who are Floodplain Managers?
- Who are Emergency Managers?
- How can Floodplain Managers and Emergency Managers help each other?
- What actions should you take?
Floodplain Management and National Flood Insurance Program Contacts:
- Jamie Prochno, Community Assistance Program Manager, Colorado Water Conservation Board, (303) 866-4474 x3215, jamie.prochno@state.co.us
- Michael Gease, Natural Hazards Specialist, FEMA, (303) 235-4814, michael.gease@fema.dhs.gov
Emergency Management Contacts:
To find contact information for your local emergency manager click on the Local Info Sources tab at coemergency.com.- Ken Brink, Mitigation Team Supervisor (Denver Metro), Colorado Office of Emergency Management, 720-852-6695,kenneth.brink@state.co.us
- Scott Baldwin, Mitigation Specialist (Southern Colorado), Colorado Office of Emergency Management, (720) 852-6696, scott.baldwin@state.co.us
- Deanna Butterbaugh, Mitigation Specialist (Northern Colorado), Colorado Office of Emergency Management, (720) 852-6697,deanna.butterbaugh@state.co.us
