Boulder County Disaster – Six Months Later

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

On December 30, 2021, hurricane force winds fueled the largest urban wildfire in Colorado history. The Marshall Fire burned 6,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. The next day, President Biden approved federal disaster assistance for Boulder County. More than $30 million from FEMA’s Public Assistance program has been provided to Boulder County and its communities. Most of the aid has been for debris removal efforts. Funds have also been provided for emergency response actions related to evacuations and debris removal, in addition to permanent repairs. There is a 90 percent federal cost-share for the program. FEMA Individual Assistance has paid $1,962,368 to Boulder County households. The program provides aid to ensure individuals are in safe housing and address critical unmet needs. FEMA also funded a crisis counseling program to support the behavioral health needs in the community. To lessen the impact of future wildfires, FEMA brought in a Mitigation Assessment Team. The team assessed post-fire conditions and building performance and will make recommendations on improving building codes.

This work will influence wildfire mitigation nationwide and help survivors to repair, retrofit, or rebuild safer & stronger. Learn how, find resources, & speak to a specialist. 833-FEMA-4-US (833-336-2487) or email [email protected]. Funds have been set aside for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. These serve as federal matching funds to support mitigation projects selected by the state. Communities statewide are eligible to apply for the program. The Small Business Administration (SBA) provided low-interest disaster loans to businesses and individuals to help with funding their recovery. SBA has approved $96,165,700 in loans to homeowners and $7,367,200 for businesses, for more than $103 million dollars to assist survivors.

FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
Follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion8

Learn more at fema.gov/disaster/4634 May 2022 2
DHSEM’s mission is to lead and support Colorado’s effort to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to and recover from
all-hazards events. Follow DHSEM on Twitter at https://Twitter.com/COEmergency or https://dhsem.colorado.gov/

(Featured photo provided by Robert Davis, Yellow Scene staff writer)