Colorado&Wyoming Region Responds to Severe Weather and Flooding

Tornadoes, large hail and flash flooding produced significant damage across eastern Wyoming and northeast Colorado. The Red Cross was quick to respond and recovery efforts continue.

Wyoming
Update – Lusk, WY, 8 a.m., Friday, June 12, 2015 – The Red Cross shelter located at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds in Lusk, WY will be closed as of 8 a.m. Saturday, June 12, 2015. The facility will be placed in standby status in case activation is needed.

The Recovery Assistance Center will remain open at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anyone needing assistance who can’t make those times can call 307-334-3534 to make an appointment.

Updated 10 a.m. Sunday, June 7, 2015
The  distribution of cleanup supplies continued Saturday and will continue in the affected areas around Lusk. The emergency shelter remains open at the Niobrara County Fair Grounds on Highway 20 in Lusk. One local resident stayed at the shelter Saturday night along with 35 staff and support personnel from the Red Cross, Wyoming National Guard and Wyoming Department of Homeland Security.

Saturday the Red Cross distributed 70 cleanup kits in the town of Buffalo and 60 cleanup kits in the Lusk area.

The Red Cross deployed a Mobile Emergency Command Post (MECP) to support the recovery efforts on going in Lusk. The MECP is a trailer that expands to a 40×20 ft tent complete with a generator, backup batteries, heating, air conditioning and a full array of emergency communications equipment. The MECP can serve as a command center for Red Cross and other response agencies. A short video is available at http://youtu.be/SOEIaMzLKIE.

Colorado – The shelter at the Berthoud Community Center, 248 Welch Ave in Berthoud closed at noon on Saturday and was put in a stand-by status.. The Berthoud Community Center returned to more normal operations and will continue to serve as an information center where people can find out abut Red Cross services. Distribution of cleanup supplies and individual client services will continue today. People needing Red Cross support are asked to call 303-235-6636 to get help.

Additional rain and severe weather is possible in northeast Colorado and east Wyoming. Additional Red Cross volunteers are on notice to be ready to respond if there is a request for Red Cross support.

Severe weather preparedness information is available at www.redcross.org/prepare. To stay alert to weather warnings and to learn the best tactics for preparedness and recovery download the Emergency mobile app from your preferred vendor or from www.redcross.org/apps.