Today, Governor Polis provided an update on Colorado’s ongoing response to severe flooding across southwestern Colorado. Several state agencies including the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources shared updates and resources for impacted Coloradans.
“Coloradans are known for supporting each other, and we are seeing that again across Southwestern Colorado as communities recover from severe flooding. The state has teams on the ground and resources ready for Coloradans who have lost homes, income or access to basic services. This is a collaborative effort and I am thankful to the Colorado National Guard, local teams, state teams, volunteers, and everyone working around-the-clock on search and rescue, road repair and critical disaster recovery efforts. We are making sure workers, families and small businesses can find support, rebuild and have as many resources as possible to get back on their feet,” said Governor Jared Polis.
CDOT maintenance crews and contractors have been working around-the-clock to reopen critical routes and prioritize extensive repair work on several highways including US Highway 160 Wolf Creek Pass between Pagosa Springs and South Fork. As of Nov. 10 three highways remain fully closed, US 160 Wolf Creek Pass, US 160 at the Piedra River Bridge and CO 151 south of Chimney Rock Monument. US 160 Wolf Creek Pass is anticipated to open within a week, weather dependent, allowing Wolf Creek Ski Area to reopen and welcome visitors back to the mountain. Work to restore the bypass on CO 151 is critical to gain access between Pagosa Springs and Durango is anticipated to be completed before Thanksgiving.
“Our teams on the ground have made remarkable progress to make repairs after the two rounds of severe flooding,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “We won’t stop this work to repair every damaged section of roadway, and some critical milestones that restore connectivity in southwest Colorado are very near. The team is currently on track to get limited traffic on Wolf Creek Pass open by this weekend, with CO 151 open before Thanksgiving. These roads will require speed reductions and extra traffic control, so we will need collaboration from the public to drive safely in these areas.”
“People come from all over to enjoy the amazing skiing at Wolf Creek and visit Pagosa Springs, and I encourage Coloradans to visit the region this winter to hit the slopes, support our local communities and see all that Southwestern Colorado has to offer once roads are repaired and reopened,” said Polis.
To assist affected workers and employers, CDLE compiled an online list of resources to help workers navigate the various wage replacement resources available to them including:
“Coloradans living in the southwest part of our state have endured devastating flooding, and we’re committed to ensuring impacted workers are aware of the support and resources available to them,” said CDLE Executive Director Joe Barela. “We stand alongside our local communities and partner agencies, as Southwestern Colorado navigates recovery.”
The state is actively coordinating Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments that will verify damages caused by the most recent storm system that impacted the region, a critical step in pursuing federal funding assistance for the flooding that began on Oct. 31. These assessments will be conducted between Nov. 10-12 in the areas with the greatest damages including Archuleta, Conejos, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma and Rio Grande counties. Assessment teams include representatives from each county, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM), the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and United Way 211.
Assessments being conducted are for both the FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. The information collected is used to determine the areas impacted and extent of damages, and the type of assistance that would be needed to address the impacts. The state is coordinating with the National Weather Service to understand the nature and relationship of the back-to-back flooding events to one another and that information along with the damage assessment documentation will inform whether the initial MDD request can be amended to include the subsequent damages or if Colorado will need to submit a separate MDD request.
The tentative schedule of assessments is as follows:
The state is working closely with county emergency managers, local first responders, tribal partners, and federal agencies to support impacted communities. Ongoing state actions include:
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