ways to prepare for flood season in Je erson County

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

May to October is the annual ood season in Colorado. And, like most of the natural happenings around the state, the swollen rivers and creeks are naturally beautiful, but they are also powerful and very dangerous.

In fact, 2023 marks 10 years since Je erson County’s last major ood event. e photos capture the damage done to roads, trees and trails by the powerful ood water.

Christine Billings, of Je co Public Health, said that the best thing anyone can do before a natural event is to plan and practice. She o ered 10 things you can do now to stay ready during this year’s ood season. Some are measures that are wellknown in the community. However, this is your reminder to check, practice and plan for oods, res and other weather disasters.

1. Keep your pets’ immunizations (and yours) up to date.

“Sometimes shelters won’t take (the pets) unless there’s documentation of full vaccinations,” Billings said. “So, make sure that you’re up to date on vaccines for your pets. In addition, make sure that you are up to date on your vaccines.”

Billings said that ooding brings a high risk of tetanus exposure.

“ e recommended (booster) is every 10 years, so it’s not often. But in a ooding event, there is a lot of debris and a lot of unexpected injuries that can occur when you are cleaning up,” she said.

Getting caught in ood waters also brings the danger of tetanus exposure as well.

2. Keep those documents dry, safe and easy to reach.

Billings advises placing the pet’s immunization records and those of the family in a safe place with other vital information. Put these documents in a place that every-

After Refacing one knows and that’s easy to access in the event of a ood or natural disaster.

Add the pet’s license, as a shelter may require that information before allowing your pet into the facility.

3. Take pictures of your property inside and out on a regular day.

Pictures aid in insurance documentation and help emergency agencies in the area after a disaster. Billings urges everyone to “take a video of your property and your house to document what it looked like before the disaster happened.”

Add these to a USB drive and stash it with the vital records. You can also store the le on a cloud drive or on your phone.

4. Map and drill on evacuation plans and routes.

Billings said that the best way to know what to do during a disaster is to practice it beforehand until it is routine.

“Practice your driving route. So, when you’re in that emergency, and the ‘ ght or ight’ brain takes over, it’s kind of second nature, to know which way you’re going to drive,” she said.

Billings added that practice also makes it easier when the main route is unusable.

“What are my alternate ways out of my space?” she said. “If something happens, what are two or three additional ways to get out of where I am?”

Figure those out and then practice.

5. Select an emergency contact person to check in with when disaster hits.

According to Billings, an important piece to a communication plan is having an out-of-state contact.

“If something happens, we’re all going to call grandma in Utah, or we’re all going to call Uncle Eddie down in Alabama. Just get an outof-state contact, who is likely not

Thu 6/08

Korey Foss: Glam Slam @ 5pm Glam Aesthetics, Denver

Rotating Tap Comedy @ Resolute Brewing Tap & Cellar @ 7:30pm

Resolute Brewing Tap & Cellar, 18148 W 92nd Ln Suite 100, Ar‐vada

Getter @ 9pm The Church, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver

Fri 6/09

Johnny Buffalo @ 8pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Sat 6/10

Downtown Denver Public Art

Walking Tour @ 10am Denver Arts and Venues, Varies Locations for Public Art Tours, Denver

Korey Foss: Rock Candy @ 6pm Dirty Dogs Road‐house, 17999 W Col‐fax Ave, Golden

Sun 6/11

Drowse @ 8pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broad‐way, Denver

Del Amitri @ 8pm Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave, Den‐ver

Tue 6/13

Semisonic @ 7pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison

Christopher Morse: Sofar Denver @ 8pm Secret Location, Denver

Wed 6/14

Nerv @ 6pm

Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver

The Market at Belmar June 11thSept 10th 2023

Mojomama with Hazel Miller @ 7pm Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave, Golden

A Primitive Evolution @ 7pm Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

Ploom

@ 8pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Native Station at Olde Town Arvada

Second Saturdays @ 5pm Arvada Historical So‐ciety, 7307 Grandview Ave, Arvada

Rendezvous Gala - Four Mile

Historic Park: Denver, CO @ 6pm / $150-$300

Four Mile Historic Park, 715 South Forest Street, Denver. events@fourmilepark.org, 720-865-0800

Jay_Martin @ 7pm

Mangiami, 5614 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Ar‐vada

Bayonne @ 9pm Globe Hall - CO, 4483 Logan St., Denver, CO 80216, Denver

Lakewood, Colorado 80226 @ 10am Jun 11th - Sep 10th 7175 W Alaska Dr, 7175 West Alaska Drive, Lakewood. info@bel marcolorado.com, 303-742-1520

Bloody Bananas @ 6pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Cinders @ 6pm

Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Mon 6/12

14th Street and Denver Performing Arts Complex Campus Public Art Tour @ 6pm Denver Arts and Venues, Varies Locations for Public Art Tours, Denver crêpe girl @ 7pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Nathan Graham @ 7pm Sofar sounds Denver, Denver