Senator Cory Gardner toured the Messex area Saturday, August 8 to see first-hand the areas impacted by the Spring 2015 South Platte Flood and the Fall 2013 South Platte Flood.
Gardner stated that he saw two major challenges for the future of the area: its residents and its economics. Congress should investigate the methods of getting resources to impacted victims, which today may not qualify for Individual Assistance under the current qualifications governing a FEMA Federal Disaster Designation. Additionally, his office will try to bring all the Messex area impacted public and private players together to discuss how to plan for and then, hopefully, lessen any damaging impacts that future flooding may cause.
Burlington Northern and the Union Pacific Railroads, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers, North Sterling Reservoir, the Tetsel Ditch Company, Morgan County, Washington County and Messex area representation are all possible parties that GardnerÕs
Office will be consider inviting to a work session to discuss flooding issues impacting Messex.
Gardner expressed his disappointment that Washington County has yet to receive FEMA Public Assistance funding that the county qualified for related to the 2013 Flood. He asked that his local office be kept abreast of the current efforts by Washington County and FEMA to resolve the remaining issues.
Washington County was recently included in the public entities that were declared a Federal Disaster as a result of the 2015 Flood.
