DENVER - Today, Governor Polis issued a verbal disaster declaration to support response and recovery efforts following significant flooding in Western Colorado. The Governor has been monitoring the situation closely and State public safety leaders have been in close contact with local emergency management about this unprecedented weather event. State resources, including the Colorado Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM), Colorado State Patrol, and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, as well as the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment were previously engaged in the emergency response before the verbal disaster declaration.

This declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and authorizes DHSEM to take whatever actions may be required for response efforts, including up to the initial $1 million in estimated costs.

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