This landscape should be covered with snow in December, but that’s not blowing snow, it’s dry ash from the Lee Fire burn scar southwest of Meeker. When the ash settles, it drifts like sand, further complicating recovery efforts and warning of additional flooding and debris flows in the future. KATHLEEN KELLEY[Read More…]
Tag: FEMA
Funding request for fire recovery heads to D.C.
RBC | Gov. Jared Polis has formally requested a federal disaster declaration for two wildfires that burned over 150,000 acres in Rio Blanco County this summer. The Lee and Elk fires grew rapidly and forced evacuations in and around the town of Meeker after they were started by lightning on[Read More…]
Emergency alert test Wednesday, Oct. 4
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be sending out a test tomorrow. Wednesday, Oct. 4 be prepared for your phone to possibly get that loud alert tone around 12:20 p.m. FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide emergency alert[Read More…]
Town of Rangely meeting higlights–Oct. and Nov.
Oct. 12 and 26 The Town of Rangely’s Board of Trustees heard the first reading of an amended floodplain management ordinance to align with new recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA has changed recommendations to provide higher floodplain management standards to help communities prepare and plan for,[Read More…]
Changes to flood maps may require some homeowners to purchase flood insurance
RBC | The Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Rio Blanco County have been released and on July 21, representatives from infrastructure firm AECOM, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA met with community members in Rangely and helped answer property owners questions via virtual[Read More…]
News Briefs: July 9, 2020
Floodplain public meetings this month RBC | Rio Blanco County, the Town of Meeker and the Town of Rangely are hosting public meetings for the State to present updated floodplains as a result of the ongoing restudy over the last few years. These updated floodplains are displayed on preliminary Flood[Read More…]
Town adopts county’s hazard mitigation plan
MEEKER I Rio Blanco County Emergency Manager Ty Gates spoke to Meeker’s Board of Trustees about the adoption of the county’s multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, something he has been working on since 2017. Having a current hazard mitigation plan in place is necessary in the event the town needed to[Read More…]
Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan available for review
RBC | In March 2019, Rio Blanco County began the process of updating the county-wide hazard mitigation plan. Rio Blanco County is completing this update as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remain eligible for mitigation grant programs. This plan examines county and local vulnerabilities to a[Read More…]
Further explanation of floodplain mapping provided
RANGELY | In order to address concerns from Rio Blanco County in regard to the proposed updated county flood plain mapping, representatives from infrastructure firm AECOM, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA met with community partners including Rangely Town Manager Lisa Piering, Town of[Read More…]
Floodplain changes could cost Rangely residents
RANGELY | During the Oct. 15 Board of County Commissioners work session, county planner/surveyor Leif Joy and engineer and Rangely town planner Jocelyn Mullen brought concerns to the commissioners about a recent study commissioned by FEMA and conducted by sub-consultant AECOM of Denver. Joy explained the process that was used[Read More…]
Rangely board pushes back on FEMA’s flood plain classifications
RANGELY | A work session took place before the town board meeting to discuss wastewater and storm water. A few years ago, The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) was brought in to reassess the flood plains around Rangely to see if some of the areas could be reclassified as a[Read More…]