El Paso County seeks funding from second federal agency, awaiting FEMA’s response to June flood damage

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Now that most repairs to damaged roadways and infrastructure have been made following catastrophic flooding and storms in June, El Paso County officials have contacted a second federal agency while awaiting word on an earlier request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

On Tuesday, the Board of Commissioners approved a letter to be sent to the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to ask for emergency disaster funding; last month, the state learned that it qualifies for FEMA assistance but the timing and amount haven't been announced.

Andrew Notbohm, the county's director of emergency management and recovery, wrote the letter.

"The NRCS provides assistance for damage related to floods and fires," he explained. "We're applying to them in case we end up with gaps in funding from FEMA because the total damage amount is likely to increase."

Notbohm said that the county had $20 million in damage but insurance reduced the assistance need to $8 million.

"The damage to the city was mostly to stormwater infrastructure, and the damage to the county was public works infrastructure, and then also to parks infrastructure," he said. 

Notbohm said that it may take up to ten years to repair all of the damage because work will include permanent fixes that will replace temporary repairs to some roads.

"And our assistance requests could move up or down the (federal) priority list, depending on other disasters that may happen between now and then," he pointed out.

Examples of lingering damage are erosion along the Sand Creek Trail in Wildflower Park and North Douglas Creek around and under a bridge on Holland Park Boulevard.

Some parks and open spaces also received significant damage, Notbohm said.