Last September, Boulder County was devastated when we were hit with a flood the likes of which our town has not seen in nearly a hundred years. It reminded many of us of a simple fact that we had long forgotten: water is just as dangerous as snow.
For many of us, the Boulder Creek was just a beautiful, mild river for tubing in the summer with a gorgeous bike path winding right along with it. So few of us have ever seen its banks swell that we never considered the fact that, just like any other body of water, it could flood and cause so much damage to homes, businesses and entire cities.
Due to our wake up call last year, the city of Boulder has organized a couple Open Houses to talk to citizens about how to be prepared for a flood. Tonight is the second of the two. It’s located at Casey Middle School (1301 High Street) and will take place from 7 to 7:30 pm.
The drop-in style event will have topic-based stations, staffed with city members, to address what Boulder citizens can do to make sure that they’re prepared for a flood.
Boulder County also has a useful Community Guide to Flood Safety available on their website and beginning this Monday, March 31st, the Boulder city site is offering weekly tips for flood preparedness, the first of which is to purchase flood insurance if your home is at all near a body of water that could overflow.
Since most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage, it’s a special add-on that you need to request. The City of Boulder participates in a federally backed flood insurance program that offers up to a 25% discount on insurance rates to owners located within the 100-year floodplan.
The Community Guide, which is available for download as a PDF, is a valuable reference resource for before, during and after a flood and includes instructions for protecting your property, helpful flood safety tips and contact information for emergency services.
Fingers crossed that none of us will ever have to endure another flood like we experienced last fall, but now that we’ve seen the damage that flood waters can cause, it pays to be prepared.
