M 22 EnCompass May/June 2013
First the fires, now floods InsuranceTalk
Matt Meister is chief meteorologist for KRDO Channel 13 in Colorado Springs. He reported on last year’s Waldo Canyon fire as it threatened thousands of homes, his included. He and his family evacuated, but their home survived. This year, he’ll be watching for floods. “The elevated risk of flash flooding due to the Waldo Canyon fire will
be with us for five to seven years before the soil and vegetation can recover enough to reduce the risk,” Meister wrote us. “One fifth of the ground cover was burned so severely that no vegetation was left and no root systems were left to a depth of four inches. This lack of vegeta- tion allows for much greater runoff than before the fire. Additionally,
a waxy substance forms in the soil as organic material burns. This wax causes the soil to become hydro- phobic, meaning that it cannot absorb water.” Meister said rainfall rates of just
half an inch per hour can cause flooding in areas where the fire burned hottest. “It doesn’t mean that you need
half an inch of water in an hour to fall to cause a flash flood, it means that if the water is falling fast enough that you’d get a half inch in an hour, a flood may occur,” Meister wrote. Meister said thunderstorms
severe enough to cause flooding will arrive in the Springs between mid-May and mid-June, and mid- July through August. “My advice, if you are in or near a
drainage with its headwaters in the Waldo Canyon Fire burn: Be alert, it doesn’t have to be raining where you are for a flash flood to occur. If water starts to rise, seek higher ground immediately. Sometimes scurrying up the hillside or canyon wall can be the difference between life and death.” AAA Colorado urges homeown-
ers near all burn areas to be alert, and to prepare. AAA Colorado offers flood policies for homeown- ers, renters, and condo owners/ renters. Here are some things to keep
in mind when talking about flood insurance: uA flood policy does not take
effect until 30 days after the pre- mium and application are received, unless: - The flood map for the insured’s community was revised in the last year.
- A flood policy is required by a lender to close a loan.
uThere is a one-day waiting period when additional insurance is
AAA.com
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