There were some wonderful people at the meeting from CDOT, Xcel Energy, Jeffco Road & Bridge to Jeffco Sheriff, Jeffco Commissioners, FEMA, SBA and more. [Boulder/Gilpin (who were far less impacted in Coal Creek Canyon) were not there, nor were United Power who had no outages throughout the flood.]

The detail will follow but the highlights:

CDOT were there to discuss highway 72 east to Arvada. They have a contractor selected, and that contractor will begin work tomorrow. Their goal is to have the road completely repaired and open by Thanksgiving. They plan to have pilot car led access to the public within a week. The times of day when are still to be determined, but some morning commute access and some evening commute access.

Xcel Energy expect to have a firm estimate for re-opening this week, hopefully by Wednesday. They expect to put a temporary solution in place (e.g. perhaps patching the existing main line, if possible), but do not expect a permanent solution until next year. They will come visit your house, and need an adult to allow them access. They will check your gas main meter before they can turn on gas.

FEMA were saying; register, register, register even if you don’t think you have an issue now (you may not discover what damage the water did until later.) They are looking into alternative heating solutions (e.g. aid for switching to propane) because clearly the cold nights are coming fast, and they are looking at alternative accommodations support (e.g. if your house is unlivable, including due to lack of natural gas.)

SBA wanted it to be known they they do NOT just support small businesses. Homeowners who have costs not covered by insurance (or are under-insured) can get low interest rate loans (for up to 30 years.) It costs nothing to register for a loan and you can decline it if you get approved & don’t want it. It might make sense to apply now before the deadline of November 14th because if you do, and then decline it, you get an extra 6 months to re-request it. Don’t overlook what SBA can do to help, and don’t underestimate how much costs might build up over the coming weeks/months.

Jeffco Sheriff explained the need to be cautious of scammers. Do your research and check out any contractors you use, and don’t pay too much up front. All staff of Jeffco or Xcel or FEMA will have picture identification and logos so do not get fooled. Do not allow scammers into your home, and do call the sheriff if you have concerns. Some problems have already been reported, so do be vigilant; lock your cars/homes, check identification and report concerns. Jeffco Sheriff are doing patrols, and will try to do patrols of your place if you ask.

Note: There have been complaints of speeding and erratic traffic on Gap Road and in Golden Gate Canyon. The Sheriff’s department will be ticketing people who do not respect road safety.

If you are dealing with rubble, please do get a tetanus shot. More to come on the health aspects.