Evolutions in emergency reponse to extreme preciptiation events: hope for the future?

Almost 25 years ago the Big Thompson Flash Flood of July 31, 1976 awoke the Colorado emergency response community to a deadly reality: 140 people died as flash flood warnings came too late, emergency response agencies were unprepared and warnings were poorly communicated. Flash flood awareness was very low within the state. In short, the entire system was caught unprepared.

The Front Range response to the BT began in 1977 in Boulder County where a flood detection network, the first in the state, was established. Later in 1977, a panel of experts recommended that a community sponsored flash flood warning program should be established. In 1979 the Urban Drainage & Flood Control District of Denver, Colorado established its Flash Flood Prediction Program (F2P2) to supplement National Weather Service flash flood services with community-focused hydro-meteorological products to assist the local emergency response community. The F2P2 services were provided for the past 21 years by private sector meteorologists. In addition to added weather support, the F2P2 has enhanced communications between response agencies and regularly commenced table top flood exercises to test the flood warning response plans.

Flood detection networks have developed in Fort Collins, the Denver metro area, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The detection networks rely on ALERT rain and stream gauges and automated weather stations to provide re-active time to flash flooding in and along Front Range streams, rivers and urban areas susceptible to flash flooding. While FDN's provide reliable verfication that a flood is in progress or imminent, they provide precious little or no pro-active response time for emergency response agencies. In the Denver metro area the FDN's are linked to pro-active meteorlogical support on a basin-specific basis.

Meteorologists, both private and government, are working to use surface mesonets, WSR-88D radar, profilers and numerous models to provide pro-active response times to flash floods through more accurate prediction. The 1997 Fort Collins flash flood underscored the need for community flood warning response plans which link all facets of the warning and response process in a pro-active manner. In the Denver F2P2 eight basin-specific flood warning repsonse plans are linked to weather support products, flood detection networks and pro-active activities by emergency response community.

Recently flood warning response plans in Otero County, Colorado and Wickenburg, Arizona have been linked to similar plans which go one step further and incoporate flood plain inundation mapping to assist decision-making. Additionally, these plans are interactive on the Internet for local users and decision-makers. The Colorado Water Coservation Board convenes a monthly Flood Task Force meeting from April to September to promote agency awareness and preparedness for both spring snowmelt and summer flash flooding. Media coverage of these meetings helps public awareness.