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2013 Flood Recovery
Flood Recovery imagery for banner image

2013 Flood Recovery

The 2013 Flood resulted in extensive damage to residential and business property, as well as to Boulder County roads, bridges, creeks, and open space. Long-term recovery efforts are beginning to wind down ten years after the damage occurred. View some of our project pages linked here to take a look at how Boulder County has responded to this historic disaster.

Email or Text Updates

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Explore a Historic Flood Story Map

View a story map below that was a joint effort between Boulder County and the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. Explore the 2013 Flood impacts as well as other floods in the state’s history.

Building Back Better

2013 Flood Recovery Buyout MapRecovering from the 2013 Flood is a multi-year commitment for Boulder County, the municipalities, and our community as a whole. Boulder County is committed to building back stronger and more resilient than before.

One program that Boulder County administered in the wake of the 2013 Flood is the Buyout Program. This program purchased flood damaged properties that may have a threat of future danger and turned the property into undeveloped land in perpetuity. Applications for the program were accepted through July 2016, and the acquisition and demolition are complete. View a map of the 47 total properties acquired.

In September of 2018, the Boulder County Commissioners assigned management responsibility for the properties to either the county’s Transportation Department for road rights-of-way or to the Parks & Open Space Department for open space. View more information on Boulder County’s Management of Flood-Buyout Properties.

Flood Recovery Assistance Funds

Federal grant money was administered by the county to help hundreds of Boulder County residents pay for a variety of flood recovery projects.

Flood Rebuilding & Permit Information Center (FRPIC)

As part of the effort to assist unincorporated Boulder County property owners and residents in the most efficient manner, Boulder County set up a Flood Rebuilding & Permit Information Center in downtown Boulder to house staff from multiple departments in one central location. The Flood Rebuilding & Permit Information Center is no longer open, please contact floodrecovery@bouldercounty.gov with questions.

The Flood Rebuilding & Permit Information Center was staffed by functional experts in septic systems, floodplain management, private roads, culverts & bridges, private bridge replacement, home buyout options, and other hazard mitigation programs to assist those impacted. The Center was open for five years after the flood and helped hundreds of county residents recover after the devastating 2013 Flood. This model of combining services was helpful not only for the impacted residents to get services in a single location, but also for staff who needed to work cross-departmentally on many difficult issues.

Boulder County plans to use this model in future disasters as well to rebuild and restore the community while implementing measures to protect public safety and investments through hazard mitigation and avoidance. Staff at the county is committed to understanding the needs and issues of residents who are facing complex issues to restore their homes, property and lives.