Flood Event: Unprecedented sustained heavy rains began on Sept. 9, 2013 and increased on Sept. 11 when major flooding began in Boulder and Larimer counties causing significant damage. The flooding was declared a disaster by President Obama on Sept. 15, 2013. The area affected by the flood covered more than 609,000 acres of NFS land and a vast area of private land.
Initial Response: At first, large portions of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland’s (ARP) was closed as the initial response to ensure public and employee safety. Initially 260,000 acres of National Forestland was closed to all entry.
Rescue and recovery operations between all levels of government went into motion to assembling resources from the start of the flood, continuing through recovery operations. ARP personnel were dispatched to assist with the incident including the Roosevelt Hotshots. A helicopter and staff temporarily stationed in Fort Collins also assisted.
The ARP worked closely with counties to ensure that closure orders supported rescue and recovery actions and resolved access issues for residents. Many ARP fire personnel worked in response to the September flooding, serving in close coordination with affected counties, the National Guard and the U.S. Army to rescue and provide initial support to local residents, under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Additional ARP fire personnel staffed the Fort Collins Dispatch Center and filled roles on the two Type-2 Incident Management Teams employed by Larimer and Boulder counties in response to the flood. For an update on the recovery efforts since the 2013 event, go to the weblink below.