Media Release: Colorado Requests More Counties Be Added to Disaster Declaration

August 7, 2015

DR-4229-CO NR002

Media Contacts:

FEMA – Luisa Rivera– (303) 482-6042

State of Colorado PIO – (720) 432-2433

Media Release

Colorado Requests More Counties Be Added to Disaster Declaration

DENVER – Today, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) submitted a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the designation of additional counties for Public Assistance under Major Disaster Declaration DR-4229 to include Adams, Boulder, and Park counties and the City and County of Denver.

In the request Colorado DHSEM Director Kevin Klein wrote, “The most recent preliminary damage assessments highlight the scale of this disaster, with 15 of 64 Colorado counties accruing eligible damages due to widespread flooding and severe weather from April through June. Adams, Boulder and the City and County of Denver in particular have now experienced additional hardships as they are still recovering from FEMA-4145-DR-CO, arguably the most costly disaster in Colorado history."

The request was submitted to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate through Dolph Diemont, the DR-4229 Federal Coordinating Officer at the Joint Field Office located in Denver.  FEMA is now reviewing the request.

DR-4229 was declared by President Obama on July 16, 2015 after local, State and FEMA officials completed two rounds of Preliminary Damage Assessments in June and July.  After the declaration the State was made aware of additional damages.  During the past two weeks the State worked with FEMA to conduct additional Preliminary Damage Assessments to verify eligible losses.  Based upon the results of the assessments, DHSEM Director Kevin Klein has requested that FEMA add Adams, Boulder, and Park counties along with the City & County of Denver to the list of designated counties.

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Colorado DHSEM’s mission is to provide leadership and support to Colorado communities to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond and recover from all-hazard events including acts of terrorism.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.