Area legislators got a first hand look at the extensive flood damage inflicted in the July 5th downpour in the Penrose and Upper Beaver Creek area during a disaster tour of eastern Fremont County Tuesday afternoon. State Representatives Keith King, Tom Massey, and Buffie McFadyen first attended a briefing at the County Administration Building where Emergency Management Director Ray Southard say preliminary estimates place flood damage in Fremont County at about $1.8 million. Southard said that includes the wash outs on several miles of County Road 132, damage to a pair of bridges on County Roads 132 and 123, and the wash out of a box culvert on Colorado Highway 115 south of Penrose.
Southard said Fremont County's damage along with flood damage last week to areas in Teller and Douglas County should easily tally more than the $5 million threshold needed for Colorado to qualify for an emergency disaster declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Governor Owens has already declared a disaster situation in those three counties.
Following the briefing the legislators toured the flood damaged areas with the Fremont County Commissioners, District 2 Road Foreman Terry Acton, Steve Morrisey of the County Emergency Management Office, and the media. With most of the flood damage occurring in King's District 21, he said the legislators simply want to make sure the state is fully aware of the damage that took place in Fremont County and that the county can qualify for the 75 percent disaster funding assistance.
District 2 Commissioner Larry Lasha said while a lot of people are anxious to get the bridge repaired and reopened on County Road 123, the first priority is to make sure residents along County Road 132 have access in and out of their area and then the focus will shift to the bridge on 123. Acton said it appears the structure and abutments on the bridge are intact but an engineer will have to inspect it before any repairs can begin to the approaches on both sides of the bridge. Lasha said tire tracks indicate someone has bypassed the roadblocks, drove over the debris and across the bridge. He said that is particularly dangerous since there are huge washouts beneath the asphalt surface.
Southard said Fremont County's damage along with flood damage last week to areas in Teller and Douglas County should easily tally more than the $5 million threshold needed for Colorado to qualify for an emergency disaster declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Governor Owens has already declared a disaster situation in those three counties.
Following the briefing the legislators toured the flood damaged areas with the Fremont County Commissioners, District 2 Road Foreman Terry Acton, Steve Morrisey of the County Emergency Management Office, and the media. With most of the flood damage occurring in King's District 21, he said the legislators simply want to make sure the state is fully aware of the damage that took place in Fremont County and that the county can qualify for the 75 percent disaster funding assistance.
District 2 Commissioner Larry Lasha said while a lot of people are anxious to get the bridge repaired and reopened on County Road 123, the first priority is to make sure residents along County Road 132 have access in and out of their area and then the focus will shift to the bridge on 123. Acton said it appears the structure and abutments on the bridge are intact but an engineer will have to inspect it before any repairs can begin to the approaches on both sides of the bridge. Lasha said tire tracks indicate someone has bypassed the roadblocks, drove over the debris and across the bridge. He said that is particularly dangerous since there are huge washouts beneath the asphalt surface.