Boulder Flood 2013
Boulder Channel 1 coverage of the 2013 Boulder flood . We have one video feed of live emergency scanner traffic. Another live channel is our Mobile channel where we go around Boulder with live broadcasts of various scenes of the flooding. Plus , video coverage, photos and news stories.
County officials want mountain driving restraint
Sep 25th
Visitors and plains residents are requested to curtail recreation in the mountains this fall
Clarification:
Mountain residents are asked to minimize trips into and out of damaged areas, and visitors and plains residents are requested to curtail recreation in the mountain area between U.S. 36 and SH 72 this fall (travel is allowed along P2P Highway north to south)
Visitors can access the Town of Estes Park in Larimer County along Peak to Peak Highway (SH 72) – we’re just asking that visitors not try to venture east or west of P2P in Boulder County along roads that are closed to public access
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County officials have made it an immediate priority to repair and reconstruct county roads and bridges damaged in the flood. The county sustained an enormous amount of damage to its roadway infrastructure, and in some places, experienced complete destruction of critical routes in the foothills and mountains. Initial estimates for repairs top $100 million.
Boulder County road maintenance crews have been working on clearing, evaluating structural integrity and public safety, and repairing county roads since the beginning of the historic flooding event. Utility companies have also been active since the start working to restore electric, gas, phone, water and other basic services. Given the current status of the roads, county public safety and transportation officials are urging residents to minimize – and visitors to curtail completely – their use of mountain roads within Boulder County.
(Video: Boulder County “Be a Good Neighbor” Public Safety & Road Infrastructure message)
“We kindly ask that people stay out of the foothills and mountain areas from Foothills Highway to Peak to Peak this fall for recreational purposes while our county, state and federal partners work to restore access to all of our valued mountain communities,” said Boulder County Commissioner Cindy Domenico. “Right now we need our residents and visitors to access our central mountain communities only for essential purposes and to give room to our road crews and law enforcement officials to do their jobs.”
“We want residents and visitors to recognize that Boulder County is hard at work to reestablish our infrastructure and reconnect residents to their communities and their homes,” said Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle. “The county has teamed with cities and towns, the state, other nearby counties and private contractors to help with this massive undertaking. Crews are working as quickly as we can to put in place at least temporary fixes by winter, knowing that cold weather and snow will only compound problems with damaged roads.”
The Sheriff’s Office is requesting that all recreation and unnecessary trips into the foothills and mountains of Boulder County be curtailed until critical roads, including Boulder Canyon and U.S. 36 west of Lyons, can be opened to the general public. (View video)
“The road issues are more than a mere inconvenience,” said Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. “Everyone working at the county understands that the lack of access and the lengthy process to restore it will change lives, and we are focused on returning a sense of normalcy to lives that have been changed forever in some cases.”
County officials have asked that vehicles, bikes and pedestrians stay out of the damaged areas while road and emergency crews, utilities and local residents work to restore basic infrastructure and access to their homes.
“People who want to recreate in the mountains or go see the destruction will actually hamper access for emergency responders, utility workers, and mountain residents who absolutely need the access,” Pelle said. “For that reason we’re asking people who don’t have to go to the mountains to stay away and to understand that this is a very long term problem.”
“It is incredibly difficult to rebuild roads with people on them, so please avoid the mountain roads unless absolutely necessary, and minimize even residential trips to keep roads clear for heavy equipment and emergency vehicles,” Gerstle added. “It is difficult and takes much longer for the crews to fix a road with traffic on it. The fewer people using the road, the faster we can get the work done.”
Another important recovery aspect for many residents is the status of county open space parks and trails.
“Our staff has been assessing damage and working to repair trails as quickly as possible, but there are many parks and trails that may be closed for a significant duration as these areas have experienced extreme damage and the trails are unsafe,” said Boulder County Parks & Open Space Director Ron Stewart.
In addition, the U.S. Forest Service in Boulder County has closed its lands for all recreational purposes (i.e., camping, hiking, hunting, etc.) by executive order until further notice.
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OSMP: More trails open by the day
Sep 25th
City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department opened trails on Mount Sanitas today; department will open many more trails in the days ahead
The City of Boulder is making headway in allowing visitors to return to its extensive network of trails by opening key trails on Mount Sanitas today. On Tuesday, OSMP opened:
- The Mount Sanitas, Dakota Ridge, East Ridge and the Goat trails on Mount Sanitas. However, the Centennial trailhead parking area remains closed. Visitors to Sanitas trails must walk into the trail area.
- Cottontail Trail in East Boulder.
All open trails are listed at http://bit.ly/15msF85 and at BoulderFloodInfo.net. Please check either of these websites for more updates.
Newly opened trails will be accessible from dawn to dusk, and visitors must remain on-trail because of safety risks. All other OSMP trails not listed at http://bit.ly/15msF85 remain closed under an emergency order.
There are some potential safety risks on re-opened trails. These may include rocky and gullied terrain, as well as other potential hazards associated with a major flood event. OSMP stresses that the re-opened trails are substantially different from pre-flood conditions.
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City: Flood debris to be picked up in the street
Sep 24th
The City of Boulder will begin curbside cleanup of flood debris on Thursday, Sept. 26. The cleanup, contracted to Denver-based Swingle Inc., will occur for a period of three weeks. Residents are asked to place flood debris, such as carpet, drywall, appliances, trees and branches, curbside for collection. Debris piles should not block drainage, sidewalks, bike lanes or fire hydrants.
Curbside cleanup routes and schedules are available at www.boulderfloodinfo.net. Swingle has divided the city into four zones for curbside cleanup and will pick up debris in each zone at least twice, starting on Thursday, Sept. 26, and concluding on Friday, Oct. 18. Here is the schedule for week one:
· Zone 1: North of Iris, West of Foothills Parkway – start day Thursday, Sept. 26
· Zone 2: South of Baseline, West of Foothills Parkway – start day Saturday, Sept. 28
· Zone 3: South of Iris, North of Baseline, West of Foothills Parkway – start day Tuesday, Oct. 1
· Zone 4: East of Foothills Parkway in city limits – start day Thursday, Oct. 3
“Our community has sustained significant damage from the unprecedented rains and flooding of the past week, and many of our residents need to dispose of large amounts of debris,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “Many of these impacted community members do not have the ability or the equipment to haul items such as carpet to a collection point, and the service needs to be more accessible to all residents. To assist with recovery efforts, City Council approved curbside cleanup of flood debris, which will begin this Thursday.”
In order for the city to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for the cost of debris removal, curbside pickup is limited to debris created by the storm. FEMA requirements include:
· Storm-related debris only
· Debris should NOT be placed in plastic trash bags
· Debris already in plastic bags must be opened to allow FEMA verification of storm debris
· Do not place household trash with flood debris
To facilitate prompt curbside collection, residents should place appliances at the curb separate from other flood debris. Electronics and mud are NOT included in curbside collection.
Electronics may be taken to Eco-Cycle’s Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) drop off site at 5030 Old Pearl St. or Western Disposal for recycling. For more information, visit www.ecocycle.org/charm or www.westerndisposal.com.
Household hazardous waste such as paint, pesticides and chemicals must be taken to the Hazardous Materials Management Facility at 1901 63rd St. It is located behind the Boulder County Recycling Facility.
The city is identifying potential mud disposal contractors for residential use and contact information will be available at www.boulderfloodinfo.net. Mud disposal is the obligation of the property owner, and residents should contract directly with mud disposal companies or follow guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, also posted at the website above.
The service is for residential use only, and does not include apartment and condominium multi-family housing complexes that have centralized trash collection. Commercial sites are not included in the flood debris curbside service, and should contact their regular hauler for information and debris removal options.
Residents may also take flood debris to Western Disposal’s transfer station located at 5880 Butte Mill Road. It is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fees will be waived for residential flood debris disposal at the transfer station by City of Boulder residents.
The curbside cleanup is expected to take several weeks to complete with flood debris remaining in neighborhoods throughout the cleanup process. It is important that residents continue to use proper waste disposal containers for food-related garbage to minimize attracting wildlife. Food waste cannot be placed with flood debris for curbside clean up; it must be stored in a secured manner and placed out for regular household trash service on your scheduled day for pickup.
For more information about curbside cleanup or route schedules, please contact the city information line at 720-564-2196, available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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For more information on the Boulder’s recovery efforts, please visit the city’s website at www.boulderfloodinfo.net.
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