Flood Information
Town Hall Meeting
On April 15, 2013 the City of Manitou Springs hosted a town hall meeting on flash flooding and emergency preparedness. Click to view the meeting on YouTube.
Flash Flood Preparedness Guide
Preparation is key to mitigating the dangers of flash flooding. Click to view the flood preparedness guide and read important information that will help you prepare for the upcoming rainy season.
Sandbags Available April 13, 2013
Residents impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire can pick up free sandbags, either pre-filled or empty, to help protect their homes from potential flooding. Click for sandbag availability information.
Pleasant Valley Community Meeting for Flood Preparedness Scheduled for Thursday April 11, 2013
The Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management is hosting a community meeting to be held on April 11, 2013 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm to answer questions regarding flood preparedness. The meeting will be held at the Great Hall at Glen Eyrie, located at 3820 North 30th Street. We encourage you attend this meeting to become well-versed in flood preparedness as we enter into the rainy season. Please look at the flyer for further information.
Meetings Scheduled for Waldo Canyon Flood & Emergency Preparedness
"Emergency Preparedness Starts with You," a public awareness campaign hosted by partnering agencies in the Pikes Peak region kicks off in April. The campaign will educate residents on how best to protect themselves and their families in the event of flash flooding and wildfires. The two meetings to be held in Manitou Springs will begin at 6:30 pm on Monday, April 15 and on Wednesday, April 24 at the Manitou Springs City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue. Meetings will also be held in Colorado Springs. Click here to view additional information regarding these meetings.
If you are interested in viewing the agendas for these meetings, please click to view theApril 15 agenda and the April 24 agenda.
For more information on the interagency preparation being done prior to our summer rainy season, click on the link to find out how these agencies are working together to keep our citizens safe.
National Flood Insurance Update
The thirty-day waiting period waiver for flood insurance ends on September 9, 2012. Please note you can still purchase flood insurance after September 9th, however it will become effective after 30 days.
If you live in or have a business in our flood plain, we encourage you to purchase flood insurance. The impacts of the Waldo Canyon Fire and the possiblity of future flash floods will be felt for years to come.
Flood Risk Information
In addition to the information found below Colorado Springs has a good page dedicated to Flood Risk information
.
If your property was damaged or is at increased risk of flooding due to the Waldo Canyon fire, you may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to 75% of the costs you spend to protect your property from future flood damage. Eligible costs may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the cost of constructing flood barriers, drainage channel stabilization, hill slope erosion protection, sediment/debris traps and other watershed protection measures. Some project costs that have already been spent may be eligible for reimbursement if the costs were incurred after September 28, 2012.
Click on the links to view the letter from El Paso County and the application for NRCS reimbursement.
National Flood Insurance Program
President Obama has waived the 30-day waiting period for NFIP. Given the impacts of the fire and secondary impacts of potential flash flooding, now would be a good time to get flood insurance if you are in Manitou Springs' floodplain. If you are unsure whether your location is in the floodplain, click on the following link:
If you are still unsure, please contact Pikes Peak Regional Building Department at (719) 327-2880.
City of Manitou Springs Waldo Canyon Post-Fire Flood Potential
July 5, 2012
The Waldo Canyon Fire is nearly 100% contained. However, the burn area is also a watershed that drains into Fountain Creek. With much of the vegetation gone and charred debris, flash flooding can be intensified. It is important that residents within the floodplain are aware of storm activities in their area and waterways are open and free of debris. If you see a drainage problem developing, contact Public Works at (719) 685-2560. After hours, please call MSPD Dispatch at (719) 685-5407 to report the problem.
Because flooding potential is heightened due to the burn area and will remain so for quite some time, our Stormwater Department suggests the following be done to reduce the threat of flooding:
- Know if you are in the floodplain. Go to https://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1 to find out if you are in the floodplain.
- Assess your property for flood risk. If you would like to sandbag certain flood-prone areas around your property, the City will have sandbags and fill material at the Memorial Park area.
- Check to see if you have flood insurance (homeowner policies seldom cover flood events). Property owners and renters can get flood insurance. Coverage may be obtained through local insurance agents familiar with flood insurance, or an agent may be located on the web at floodsmart.gov, or through NFIP at (888) 379-9531.
- Do not dump trash, limbs, leaves or other debris into drainage channels whether they are dry or flowing.
- Keep all drainages and creeks on your property free of limbs and debris.
- Report clogged drainage channels, creeks, or storm drains to the Public Works Department as soon as possible.
- For more information on the measures the Public Works Stormwater Division takes to prevent, detect and remove threats which may cause flooding, please follow the link below:
Drainage System Maintenance Standard Operating Procedures
Another excellent resource for information on floods can be found at the FEMA webpage: http://www.ready.gov/floods
City of Manitou Springs Update, July 3, 2012
Hurrah! We are finally back to normal operations.
As of today, the City's voluntary evacuation order has been lifted. Cave of the Winds and the Cliff Dwellings are free to open.
With these changes, the businesses and attractions of the City of Manitou Springs are open to serve our visitors and residents. If you are looking for a great place to shop, visit, and stay, we encourage all of you to visit Manitou Springs.
As we put this event behind us, it is important for residents, businesses, and visitors to review their own emergency plans. For emergency planning, kits and training ideas, visit http://www.readycolorado.com/.
Lastly, we thank our firefighters, law enforcement, and all agencies who stepped up to address this crisis. This truly is a community working together to protect its citizens. Again, thank you… thank you!
Manitou Springs - Waldo Canyon Fire Update July 2, 2012
Progress continues establishing containment lines around the Waldo Canyon Fire. Officials put the fire containment at 55%. Because the fire in Williams Canyon continues to burn, Manitou Springs remains on voluntary evacuation status. We anticipate this evacuation status to be lifted sometime this week.
Highway 24 West is open to traffic. Recreational trails in Manitou Springs are now open, with the exception of those trails north of Highway 24. Cave of the Winds and Cliff Dwellings remain closed at this time.
The fire, in addition to the drought, is pushing wildlife into our area. It is important to manage your trash receptacles so these visitors will not be fed.
Finally, please continue to practice water conservation during this drought.
Manitou Springs - Waldo Canyon Fire Update June 29, 2012
Yesterday great progress was made establishing containment lines around the Waldo Canyon Fire. Officials put the fire containment at 15%, and that number is expected to rise today. An active fire area remains in Williams Canyon, just north of Cave of Winds. Manitou Springs remains on voluntary evacuation status.
Attractions in and around Manitou Springs remain closed, with the exception of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The Intemann Trail is open to hikers, however Barr Trail and the Incline remain closed, per the U.S. Forest Service.
El Paso County will open a Disaster Recovery Center designed to bring together the resources of multiple non-profit and governmental agencies offering assistance to all El Paso County residents and businesses impacted by the Waldo Canyon fire. The Disaster Recovery Center will be located at the former El Paso County Department of Human Services building, 105 North Spruce Street. It will be open to citizens at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 30, 2012. A contact number will be posted later today.
Manitou Springs Waldo Canyon Fire Update June 28, 2012
Yesterday the weather cooperated in terms of fire suppression activities, with most of the fire activity significantly northeast and west of the City. We still have some hot spots along Manitou Springs’ Highway 24 boundary however, so the City remains cautious. In that vein, Manitou Springs is still under voluntary fire evacuation status.
Due the drought conditions and fire event, City Council will be taking up water restrictions at its July 3rd meeting. In the meantime, we are asking all Manitou residents to conserve water as much as possible.
For all practical purposes, Manitou Springs is open for business, with just the caution noted above. Most attractions in and around Manitou Springs remain closed except for the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which reopened today. Highway 24 West at Cave of the Winds remains closed.
We have been asked about donations to the City. While we encourage donors to contact the Joint Information Center for charity-related issues, if there is a strong desire to donate to Manitou Springs, please send donations to our finance office (606 Manitou Avenue) and include a note as to which department is the recipient of your donation.
Clayfest-- Scheduled for June 30, 2012-- Has Been Postponed
Due to the Waldo Canyon Fire, the organizers of Clayfest have provided this notification: "In light of the Waldo Canyon Fire, we've decided that Clayfest can wait for a few weeks. We WILL reschedule, and keep you all posted. It simply seems unwise to marshall resources for this event, when so many are displaced and have lost so much. Stay safe everyone, and do what you can for your communities, our evacuees, and not least of which, our incredibly brave and skilled firefighters."
Manitou Springs Waldo Canyon Fire Update - June 27, 2012
Manitou Springs is still under voluntary fire evacuations. Given the erratic spread of the fire to the North and East of the Rampart Range, and the prediction of changing wind patterns, Manitou residents should stay prepared for short notice evacuations, if need be. For now the fire remains north of Hwy 24 and is not posing a significant threat to our city. If residents have questions regarding the fire, evacuation centers, donations, etc., call one of the following General Information Numbers:
- 720-402-7935
- 720-202-4510
- 720-237-9947
- 720-237-3417
If you are accustomed to using your cell phone as your primary communication device, El Paso/Teller Counties provide an Emergency Notification System that advises residents of any situation that threatens harm to life and property. You can register for that service at http://www.elpasoteller911.org/
Residents can also get a snapshot update of the fire and action plan on http://www.inciweb.org/
