FEMA Administrator touring flood mitigation project at Garden of the Gods

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor is in Colorado Springs Monday to take a look at a big flood mitigation project at Garden of the Gods.

You've probably seen the work going on in a torn-up section of the park if you've driven along 30th Street. Crews have been working on a detention pond to help with stormwater drainage.

The end goal of the detention pond and drainage project is to protect Garden of the Gods, Rock Ledge Ranch, and other neighborhoods in the area from flooding after the Waldo Canyon Fire. That wildfire created a burn scar that can lead to flash flooding in the area during heavy rains.

If you're wondering why Gaynor landed in a Chinook helicopter at the site, it's because FEMA paid for the majority of the cost with a Hazard Mitigation Grant. So it's pretty natural that he'd want to check on the progress of the pond.

The city says Gaynor is also expected to talk about wildfire mitigation as Colorado continues to grapple with large fires burning in the state.