Flood watch 2016

Town of Saratoga officials met with representatives of state and non-governmental agencies to discuss disaster readiness and management on Tuesday at Saratoga Town Hall.

The meeting brought together town officials as well as representative from the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security (WOHS), the National Guard and the American Red Cross, as well as emergency managers from Goshen and Laramie counties. Officials discussed the potential for flooding, but the primary focus was on emergency preparedness and a discussion of resources available from state and federal agencies in the event of a disaster.

Town officials also took the visitors to inspect points along the river and share some of the issues with the river and the town's flood containment planning, as well as the state of existing barriers.

During the meeting, the possibility for a flood this spring was discussed. Currently, area snowpack for the Upper North Platte district is at 100 percent of the median, according to the weekly snow precipitation update issued by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service on Monday.

With more snow possible this week, the snowpack could increase beyond the median, meaning there is more water in the mountains to runoff into area streams and rivers.

Predicting floods a tricky business

Kim Johnson, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coordinator for WOHS discussed flood potential with the group. Looking at flood potential data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Johnson noted that the data currently shows a moderate flood potential in the Platte River basin. "It (NOAA's flood potential outlook) does not mean that flooding is imminent on the North Platte, it just shows that there's an indicator-based on the snow pack-that there's probably a 50 percent chance, one way or the other, to probably reach the minor flood stage on the rivers in the area," he said.

However, Johnson also stressed that while looking at historical data such as snowpack can be a useful guide to flood potential, those data alone cannot be relied on alone to predict if flooding will occur in the Platte Valley this spring. Whether or not flooding occurs depends on multiple variables, Johnson said.

"No two years, while they may have similarities, are going to be exactly alike," he said. "With meteorology and hydrology there are just too many variables."

Johnson said that flooding is determined not only by snow pack, but temperature changes, how radical that temperature change is and rainfall amounts.

Far from being a guarantee of flooding, Johnson said instead that the best use of these data are to guide officials in preparation and to guide planning in the mobilization and distribution of emergency resources.

The officials had previously gone on a tour of Saratoga to learn what kinds of resources might be needed were there to be a flood, and where they may need to be deployed.

Walking along the North Platte River inside town limits, the officials saw the toll erosion had taken on river banks in several areas and discussed river features such as gravel bars that speed erosion.

The officials also inspected some of the sandbag berms that were constructed on the east side of the river. Many of the sandbags have deteriorated to the point where sand is loosely sprawled in roughly a mound shape.

Many of the sandbag berms inspected by the officials were declared unstable and insufficient for effective flood protection, and that they would need significant reinforcement in the event of a flood. Officials also discussed first and second line defenses, stating that the sandbag berms were considered first-line flood defense.

A second line of defense would be set up several yards back from the river bank, where officials would deploy additional sandbags and Hesco barriers – metal mesh cages that are put in place and filled with earth and rocks.

According to the manufacturer, Hesco flood barriers offer several advantages over sandbags. The company said on its website that a floodwall of Hesco barriers can be constructed in 20 minutes by two people and a front-end loader. An equivalent sandbag barrier could take 10 people seven hours to construct with sandbags, the company says.

Preparation is Key

Guy Cameron, director of WOHS, said that preparing for disasters like floods is key, and that planning begins at the local level.

"Every disaster starts local and will end local," Cameron said.

Officials took the opportunity to discuss the quantities of sandbags, barriers and other resources that are available locally. There are about 89,000 sandbags in the county, Cameron said. Those bags are spread around the county, with approximately 6,000 to 10,000 located in Saratoga. WOHS has also deployed a trailer locally that contains 1,000 linear feet of Hesco barrier, and 36,000 feet of Visqueen, a polyethylene plastic sheeting that is used to seal barriers. There are also 14,000 sandbags available in Encampment, 15,000 in Rawlins and others across the county.

Besides equipment needs, officials also took the opportunity to discuss other issues that would be of critical importance during a flood.

The Platte Valley Community Center and Saratoga High School are designated as emergency shelters, mayor Ed Glode said. The American Red Cross has shelter agreements in Saratoga at First Presbyterian Church, the community center and Saratoga High School, said James Ledwith, a representative of the Red Cross who was present at the meeting. The Red Cross also has cots in place, and plans to provide meals if necessary.

Town officials also discussed how to bring in help and other resources from the county, state and federal level, as well as systems for radio communications. Cameron also said that the state's Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS) is currently available to the town. IPAWS allows disaster management officials to provide warnings and critical information to residents by mobile phone as well as television and radio broadcasts.

Though Cameron stressed the importance of preparation on the local level, he was also quick to add that state or federal resources can and would be brought to bear if necessary.

"It's our brand in Wyoming that independence is such a part of our character," Cameron said. "We help each other, we rebound quickly and we're very resilient. Having said that though, there are times when we need help," he said.

"Our role at the Office of Homeland Security is to support you, and support local governments and we do that through our planning efforts."