LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Justin E. Smith, Sheriff
One Agency One Mission Public Safety
Contact: Larimer County Sheriff’s Office
John Schulz Public Information Officer
Public Information Office – 970-980-2501
Subject: Larimer County Flooding Information Update
Date: 9/23/2013
The first confirmed fatality of the flood was found on Saturday, September 21 on the bank of the Big Thompson River in the 2900-block of North County Road 31D. The coroner has identified the deceased as Evelyn Starner, 79, of Cedar Cove.
Targeted rescues continued over the weekend and a total of 16 people were rescued and brought to the Timberline Church evacuation center. Rescue operations are winding down and we are beginning to transition into the assessment/recovery mode for long term planning.
The Type 2 management team is transitioning management of the incident back to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and a Type 3 local management team beginning Tuesday morning, September 24.
LATEST INFORMATION
Total number of rescued as of Monday morning, September 23rd is 1,212 people.
There is now only one confirmed report of missing/presumed dead, a 60-year-old Cedar Cove woman. The 46-year-old man from Drake that had been listed as missing/presumed dead was found alive and well. He managed to climb out of a window of his cabin just before it was washed away by the flood. The third individual was confirmed deceased this weekend.
The six individuals who had been listed as unaccounted are now listed as missing. They have been identified as:
1. James Atwood from 778 Estes Park Estates Drive, Pinewood Springs
2. Bruce Bechtel from 1630 14th Street SE, Loveland
3. Carl Grunke, from 450 Hillside Lane or 626 Little Prospect Rd, Estes Park
4. Jon-Erik Huffspater from unspecified address in Loveland
5. Marilyn Powell from 148 Big Pine Lane, Drake
6. Michael Williams from 13964 CR 43, Drake
CURRENT ROAD CLOSURES
Highway 14 west of CR29C is open to residents only.
Highway 14 east of Stove Prairie landing is open to residents only.
Rist Canyon (CR52E) is open to residents only
CR54E is closed west of Highway 287
CR27 is closed north of mile marker 13
CR23 is closed north of CR50C
CR21C is closed Lyons Park
Highway 34 is closed between Glade Road and 23H is open to residents only.
Highway 34 is closed at CR29
CR29 is closed south of CR22H
For additional information on County Road closures, please refer to the website:
www.larimer.org/roads/road_closures.cfm [1] .
For a complete list of road closures State wide, a web page has been set up at: www.coloradodot.info/travel/colorado-flood-highway-updates.
ACCESS CREDENTIALS
As access becomes available to areas affected by the flood, we will be requiring registration and credentialing limited to residents only. These areas may be accessible only by means other than vehicle. (ATV, hiking, horse, etc.). It is highly recommended that the area of the Big Thompson Canyon (Highway 34) between the mouth of the canyon west to Drake be avoided.
Registration and credentialing is required for those residents attempting to gain access. A photo id and proof of residency (utility bill, tax statements, etc.) must be presented to be issued credentials.
Registration and credentialing will be available at the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office located at 2501 Midpoint Drive in Ft. Collins, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. Credentials may also be obtained at the Disaster Assistance Center located at 815 14th Street SW, Building B in Loveland on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 24th & 25th from noon to 7:00 p.m.
In the Estes Park area, residents may access Highway 43 down to Glen Haven with regular vehicles. The Meadowdale area and Highway 34 to mile marker 72 is also open to residents. The Retreat by Glen Haven is open for hikers only. Credentials are not required for these areas.
Residents of Pinewood Springs may also hike in on Highway 36 from the Larimer County side. Credentials are not required.
Residents attempting to get back to their homes will encounter many unknown hazards and will enter at their own risk. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office cannot guarantee the safety of residents who enter these areas or guarantee that deputies will be available to provide assistance if needed
HOW TO HELP
Local Residents can call United Way 211 to contact the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) to volunteer, give donations, get shelter information and community information. Non-local residents can call 1-866-485-0211 for the same information.
The Larimer County Disaster Distribution Center is accepting donations and anyone wishing to donate there can go to 815 14th Street SW, Building #D, in Loveland, CO 80537 from the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
DISASTER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER
The Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) is now open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The DAC is located at 815 14th Street SW, Building #B (for Benefits), Loveland CO 80537. The Disaster Assistance Center will have representatives from government agencies, insurance providers, health and human services, volunteer organizations, utility companies and more to answer questions.
The Disaster Distribution Center is now open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and is available to anyone impacted by the Larimer County 2013 Flood. The Distribution Center is located at 815 14th Street SW, Building #D (for Donations), Loveland, CO 80537.
For all the information on both the Disaster Assistance Center and Distribution Center please see the website http://www.larimer.org/flooding2013/ [2]
EVACUATION AREAS/SHELTErs
Red Cross Shelters have been set up in the following areas:
Thompson Valley School Administration Building in Loveland – 800 S. Taft Avenue
Timberline Church – 2908 S. Timberline Road
The Ranch in Loveland is accepting large animals from evacuees for short term boarding only. Owners will be required to feed and care for their animals. Evacuees need make arrangements for long term boarding, if necessary.
FINDING MISSING FRIENDS AND FAMILY
To report a missing or unaccounted person in Larimer County, please call 970-416-1985.
The American Red Cross Safe and Well website should be used to find someone or post information about your location for your family and friends. This website is www.safeandwell.org.
PHONE/SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION
The Joint Information Center is now closed but the public information line recording on 970-498-5500 will be updated for the near future. For life threatening emergencies, dial 9-1-1. Sign up to receive emergency notifications on your cell phone and email at leta911.org.
The most current updates can be found on our Facebook and Twitter sites:
www.facebook.com/larimersheriff and @LarimerSheriff
Website updates at:
www.larimersheriff.org
www.larimer.org/emergency
www.larimer.org/flooding2013/ [3]
BEWARE OF SCAMS
Natural Disasters bring out the best and the worst in people and unfortunately con artists and criminals take advantage of those who have been devastated by these large events. Below is a short list of common scams reported by Military One Source that take place and residents should be aware of:
Home Repair Frauds– Home repair and cleanup frauds are very common after natural disasters. Be extremely careful before hiring anyone to work on your home. Check references, never pay a contractor or other vendor in cash, always get a written estimate and ask for a second opinion. Also remember never to pay the full amount for work done before work has begun.
Fake Charities – Con artists and criminals often pretend to solicit money to help victims of a natural disaster and will make up a name of a charity which sounds nearly identical to a legitimate charity. Check out any charity groups you are unfamiliar with, never make cash donations and always make checks payable to the organization and not the individual soliciting money for the charity.
Fake FEMA Representatives – Sometimes a con artist will pretend to be a FEMA representative, collecting a “processing fee” for an emergency loan or other financial assistance. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of an agency always call the agency directly to confirm that representative is legitimate. Do not use the phone number the solicitor gives you. The number for FEMA is 1-800-621-3362.
Identity Theft – Losing important papers and documents in times of a natural disaster is common. These items contain important personal information like social security numbers, bank account numbers and credit card numbers which can be used by criminals to make purchases and/or open new accounts in your name. To avoid these problems makes sure to use a paper shredder to dispose of any papers or documents with personal information when you are cleaning up after a disaster. Get a copy of your credit report a few weeks after the disaster to make sure no one has illegally used your information. Contact your creditors immediately to report lost credit cards and contact your bank if you find you are missing checks or a bank card.
See http://www.larimersheriff.org/site-page/frauds-and-scams [4] for additional information and tips on what to do if you have fallen victim to a scammer.