Meeting to discuss national study that documents 2013 Flood recovery efforts May 17

Boulder County, Colo. – The 2013 Flood greatly impacted Boulder County and the surrounding region, and parts of the county are still in recovery nearly four years later. A new national study documents those recovery efforts and the steps taken by the Boulder County and the City of Boulder to be more resilient in the face of future floods.

To highlight these ongoing resilience efforts, the Boulder County is joining the City of Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to discuss the study in an hour-long public meeting.

     What: Discuss Case Studies of Community Resilience
                and Disaster Recovery from the 2013 Flood
     When: Wednesday, May 17, 5:30 p.m.
     Where: Boulder County Courthouse, Commissioners’
                  Hearing Room, Third Floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder

The study is also available online for viewing, athttp://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/gcr/2017/NIST.GCR.16-011.pdf

The 2013 Flood was a presidentially declared disaster that caused extensive damage to private and public property and infrastructure. Boulder County has estimated that cost flood recovery just for the county will be roughly $297 million and continue at least through the end of 2018.

“Following this enormous disaster, the county has partnered with other local governments, non-profits, and community members to be better prepared for future disasters,” Boulder County Flood Recovery Manager Garry Sanfaçon said. “This study helps to wrap up the lessons learned after the 2013 Flood and highlights the advances that have been made with regard to preparedness and resilience in our communities.”

A primary focus of the research was to document the recovery efforts within each case study; the programs, policies, or broader efforts employed by each community to design and construct resilient infrastructure; and the efforts to ensure community services (e.g., housing and public health) were provided throughout the multi-year recovery process.