Waldo Canyon Fire Recovery & Resilience February 26, 2015 Gordon Brenner Recovery Coordinator City of Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management
GIS Product: CUSP
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Overview • 2012 – 2014: What we lived • 2015 – 2019: Where we’re going • Lessons Learned
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2012 3
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Preparedness Pre-Waldo Fire • Emergency Operations Plan • Supplemental Plans
• Emergency Operations Center Exercises • Neighborhood Evacuation Drills • Discovery/Comstock April 2011 • Mountain Shadows June 2011 • Broadmoor Bluffs October 2011
• EOC Wildfire Exercise • Scheduled for June 26, 2012
• And then…
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Waldo Canyon Fire: 2012 • June 23 – July 10, 2012: (Federal Disaster DR-4067) • Two people killed • 347 Homes Destroyed • 18,247 acres burned in El Paso County, Pike National Forest, and City of Colorado Springs • Type I Team Response • Flying W Ranch 99.99% destroyed • Over 32,000 people evacuated
• June 9 – 30, 2012: High Park Fire in Larimer County (DR-4067) • Simultaneous firefighting responses strained resource capabilities 5
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Photo: Colorado Springs OEM Location: Mountain Shadows Neighborhood and Flying W Ranch
Waldo Canyon Fire Boundaries Flying W Ranch
Mountain Shadows Cascade
The Navigators At Glen Eyrie
2012 Acres Burned: 18,247 Manitou Springs
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Flash Flooding: 2012 • Flood meeting with U.S. Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team and stakeholders • Steep terrain concentrates precipitation run-off • Post-fire hydrophobic soils are unable to absorb water or sustain vegetative recovery • Increases hydraulic effects of run-off
THE BIGGEST THREAT FROM THE BURN SCAR IS
FLASH FLOODING
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July 30, 2012 • Rain storm drops .8 – 1.2 inches of rain on the burn scar over several hours • Fern Gulch inundated by sediment-bulked flow • Colorado Springs Utilities’ infrastructure damaged • U.S. Highway 24 on Ute Pass inundated by sediment
• Caused by sediment-laden flow from hydrophobic soil
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I’ve got a baaad feeling about this…
Recovery • Collaboration and Cooperation in Recovery • Colorado Springs Together is formed • Mountain Shadows rebuilding and recovery • Community-based group, local government supported
• Waldo Canyon Regional Recovery Group is formed • Collaborative organization of governments, non-profits, NGOs, and private organizations • Coordinate and assist in burn scar recovery efforts
• Community Education and Preparedness • Flood Preparedness Education Meetings • Community Evacuation Drills • Online, Social, and Traditional Media
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Photo: Colorado Springs Park and Rec Location: Blodgett Peak Open Space
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Mitigation: 2012 & 2013 • • • • •
Initial emergency mitigation applications Studies of erosion and flooding threats Structures to slow the sediment-bulked flooding effects Structures to reduce erosion on the mountain slopes Aerial, satellite, and terrestrial reconnaissance
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Aerial Mulching
Part of the U.S. Forest Service’s Burned Area Emergency Response team effort is to apply shredded wood from the burn scar, and some straw, to help stabilize the burned hill Jobs Transforming Government Building Community slopesimmediately after the fire.
Photo: City of Colorado Sprin
WARSSS Study • Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS) • Establish priority areas to work based on predicted erosion and sediment deposition • Quantify sediment loading by sub drainages • Provide a conceptual plan for restoration • Identify the priorities for mitigation against flash floods Jobs Transforming Government Building Community
Inundation Studies • Major drainages from the burn scar • North & South Douglas Creeks • Camp Creek • Fountain Creek (Ute Pass)
• Determine the expected inundation by flood waters that are bulked by sediment • Estimate the depth of flood waters after a one hour 1.75” rainfall rate Jobs Transforming Government Building Community
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North Douglas Creek
Catchment Basins
North Douglas Creek: Five catchment basins were constructed on Flying W Ranch along North Douglas Creek. The basins are designed to slow the water and Jobs Transforming Government Building Community allow sediment to be removed from the flow.
Photo: USFS May 21, 2013
North Douglas Creek
Photos: Coalition for the Upper South Platte
North Douglas Creek. Grasses, forbs (flowers/small plants), and bushes are critical to stabilizing a hillside over the long term. In order to achieve the results seen here, volunteers raked, planted seeds, and laid-down mulch on the burned soil. The result will provide Jobs Transforming Government futuregrass cover for years to come. Building Community
Queen’s Canyon/Camp Creek Queen’s Canyon: Log erosion barriers (LEB) were installed by skilled volunteers as an element against hill slope erosion. The LEBs slow and trap sediment, and provide a place for grasses to become established.
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Photo: City of Colorado Springs
The Navigators at Glen Eyrie
Jobs Transforming Government Building Community Photos: City of Colorado Springs
And then…
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Black Forest Fire: 2013 • June 11 – 20: Black Forest Fire (Federal Disaster FM-5027) • • • • •
Two people killed Over 500 structures destroyed 14,280 acres burned NOT in Colorado Springs: the city provided mutual aid Type I Team Response
• June 11 – 16: Royal Gorge Fire in Fremont County (Federal Disaster DR4133) • Simultaneous fires created a strain on resources
• And then…
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Photo: Skyview Weather Team, June 2013
Burn Scar Flash Flooding: July 1 – September 9, 2013 • Five rain events on Waldo Canyon Fire Burn Scar • Manitou Springs inundated: homes destroyed and damaged • Highway 24 Business Loop severely damaged and closed
• One person killed in flood waters on HWY 24 • Several people washed downstream
• One person killed in Colorado Springs on Sand Creek • Not related to the Waldo Canyon Fire Burn Scar
• Evaluated for Federal Disaster Declaration: Denied • And then… 21
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Photo: Edward W. Flanagan via KRDO Facebook, 8-9-13 Location: U.S. Highway 24
Mid-September Flooding: September 11 – 15 2013 • Flash Flooding (Federal Disaster FM-4145) • • • •
Affected several areas in Colorado Springs and El Paso County One person killed 503 homes damaged Damage across most of the El Paso County front range and Colorado Springs
• U.S. Highway 24 closed 17 times during the 2013 monsoon season
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Flying W Ranch Douglas Creeks
Pre-Storms May 2013
Jobs Civil Transforming Government17,2013 Building Community Photos: Air Patrol September
Queen’s Canyon Camp Creek Rilling
Head Cutting
Fallen Trees
Camp Creek
Sediment Fans
Photo: Civil Air Patrol September 17, 2013
Camp Creek Drainage Slopes. Extensive head cutting and hill slope rilling is evident from vantage points above and on the creek bed. This erosion transfers copious amounts of decomposed Pikes Peak Granite down the steep mountainsides and into the streambed. Jobs Transforming Government Building Community
Alluvial Fan
Gold Camp Road Cheyenne Creek: Damage to Gold Camp Road is shown in this photo. Rainfall undercut the road bed and created a gully in one section.
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Photo: Civil Air Patrol September 17, 2013
Recovery • Collaboration and Cooperation in Recovery • Colorado Springs Together • 70% of destroyed homes either under contract or rebuilt • Group disbanded in December 2013
• Waldo Canyon Regional Recovery Group • Continued to focus on flooding mitigation and re-vegetation • 47,736 hours by 6,500 volunteers for burn scar and flooding recovery
• Community Education and Preparedness • Flood Preparedness Education Meetings • Community Evacuation Drills • Online, Social, and Traditional Media
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2013 Recovery Assessment
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2014 28
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Mitigation: 2014 • Larger structures to slow the flooding effects • More work to reduce erosion on the mountain slopes • Continued aerial, satellite, and terrestrial reconnaissance
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Flooding – 2014 • July 2014 Flash Flooding • Highway 24 closed due to flood waters and sediment inundation at Fern Gulch near Cascade • No damage to vehicles or people • Some property damage along Ute Pass
• Mitigation structures performed well
• October 2014: Flash Flooding (Hurricane SIMON) • Mitigation structures performed well • No damage reported
• U.S. Highway 24 closed 9 times 30
It’s raining… Jobs Transforming Government Building Community
Flying W Ranch Douglas Creeks
Photo: Flying W Ranch Foundation
Jobs Transforming Government Building Community Photos: City of Colorado Springs
Glen Eyrie/Camp Creek
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Photos: City of Colorado Springs
Erosion and Debris Staged Sediment Rilling
CDOT Mitigation Structure
Debris Dam
Photos: Civil Air Patrol
Jobs Transforming Government Building Community July 18, 2014
U.S. HWY 24
Upper Ute Pass Pour Points
Sand Gulch
Fern Gulch
Wellington Gulch
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Photos: Photos:CDOT CDOT
Waldo Canyon and HWY 24
Civilian Conservation Corps Catchment Basin ca. 1936
Jobs Transforming Government Building Community Photos: CDOT
Williams Canyon
Photo: CUSP
Jobs Transforming Government Building Community Photo: USFS
Photos: City of Manitou Springs
Recovery • Collaboration and Cooperation in Recovery • Waldo Canyon Regional Recovery Group • 25,589 hours by 4,647 volunteers toward fire and flood recovery
• Community Education and Preparedness • Preparedness Education Meetings • Community Evacuation Drills • Online, Social, and Traditional Media
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Re-vegetation • U.S. Geological Survey analyzed satellite images from July 2012, mid-September 2013, and late-August 2014 • Provided illustrations of where vegetation is returning on the burn scar
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2012 – 2013 Re-vegetation
Multispectral satellite data analysis by U.S. Geological Survey, Special Applications Science Center, Denver, Colorado Vegetation analysis produced from © DigitalGlobe July 4, 2012 Worldview-2, September 25, 2013 Quickbird, and August 30, 2014 Worldview-2 multispectral imagery. The datasets were orthorectified using USGS 10-m NED DEM information to improve spatial accuracy. Multispectral satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe through the Jobs contract Transforming Government Building NextView with the U.S. Geological Survey
2012 Acres Burned: 18,247 2013 Re-Vegetation: 1,086 Acres (6%) Community
2012 – 2014 Re-vegetation
Multispectral satellite data analysis by U.S. Geological Survey, Special Applications Science Center, Denver, Colorado Vegetation analysis produced from © DigitalGlobe July 4, 2012 Worldview-2; September 25, 2013 Quickbird; and August 30, 2014 Worldview-2 multispectral imagery. The datasets were orthorectified using USGS 10-m NED DEM information to improve spatial accuracy. Multispectral satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe through the Jobs contract Transforming Government Building NextView with the U.S. Geological Survey
Community
2012 Acres Burned: 18,247 2013 Re-Vegetation: 1,086 Acres (6%) 2014 Re-Vegetation: 1,621 Acres (9%) Total Re-Vegetation: 2,707 Acres (15%)
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2015 – 2019 Mitigation Planning
• U.S. Forest Service also evaluated revegetation on the burn scar • Provided initial locations to survey for work • Mainly a GIS evaluation • Need to perform assessments on the ground
• No tree planting…yet Jobs Transforming Government Building Community
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LESSONS LEARNED SO FAR 43 Never give up; Never surrender
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Lessons Learned: Rain on the Burn Scar • Heavy rain for a few minutes can result in flash flooding • The same amount of rain over a longer period of time may not result in flash flooding • Doppler Radar is absolutely necessary to monitor upstream conditions • The National Weather Service, private, and local media meteorologists are your best allies
44 It’s not the amount; It’s the rate!
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Lessons Learned: Reconnaissance and Monitors • • • •
Rain and stream gages to monitor upstream conditions Civil Air Patrol aerial photographs Satellite multispectral imagery Photos by people on the burn scar
45 USGS Rain Gage
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Civil Air Patrol Aircraft
Lessons Learned: Preparedness • Make friends BEFORE something happens
• Fellow governmental organizations • Neighboring communities, non-governmental and non-profit organizations • Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) • Environmental groups
• Inform and involve the community
• Work with the local media outlets • Conduct community preparedness and outreach • Work with HOAs and neighborhood organizations • Engage with business safety and security offices
• Engage and work with the functional needs communities • Plan for the animals—large and small
• Exercise! Exercise! Exercise!
• Neighborhood evacuation drills/exercises really help • EOC exercises of all types are absolutely necessary
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Be Prepared
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Lessons Learned: Recovery • Prepare to recover • • • •
Create a Recovery Plan Document capabilities for recovery needs based on hazards Identify sources for the capabilities you don’t have Don’t depend or plan on Federal or State assistance
• Look at the community hazards
• Remember: Colorado does have earthquakes! • Engage with stakeholders…keep in contact
• Inform and involve the community • • • •
Work with the local media outlets Involve HOAs/neighborhood organizations Engage with business safety and security offices VOAD for volunteer response and management
• Federal disaster recovery procedures • Account, Evaluate, Mitigate • Repeat
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47 DON’T DO THIS!!
Lessons Learned: Mitigation • Spend money on good assessments • Prioritize what must be done and what should be done • Then do those things
• Don’t assume this has never been done before • Check with your local historical society, library, residents
• Document the work being done • Photos of pre-disaster, damage, and recovery • After action/lessons learned reports • Evaluate project outcomes • Build on success • Learn from setbacks
• Use for grant applications to show recovery progress Jobs Transforming Government Building Community
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Lessons Learned: Resilience • Plan, prepare and exercise for disasters • Plan and prepare for response and recovery • Involve the community in all you do • • • • •
Many people will volunteer to help Trained leaders are absolutely necessary Engage the VOAD and environmental groups Stay engaged with the local media Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!!
• Share your stories • Recovery is a marathon • Set the recovery plan for 1, 2, and >5 years
49 That all you got?!
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Summary • 2012 – 2014: What we lived • • • •
Waldo Canyon Fire (2012) Black Forest Fire (2013) July – September Flooding (2013) July & October Flooding (2014)
• 2015 – 2019: Where we’re going • Continuing recovery
• Lessons Learned • • • • • •
Rain on the Burn Scar Reconnaissance Preparedness Recovery Mitigation Resilience
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Questions • Point of Contact: • • • • •
Mr. Gordon Brenner Recovery Coordinator Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management 719-385-7141
[email protected]
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