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CU’s local and global communities rise to the challenge in wake of flooding
The September floodwaters rose with tragic and devastating effects, taking lives, displacing families and cutting off entire communities. Yet the CU community rose to meet the challenge. Throughout the adversity, I was inspired by – and grateful for – the response of our communities as they reached out to their neighbors to begin the healing and rebuilding processes.
We continue to focus on the needs of students, faculty and staff – not only at our CU-Boulder campus but all our campuses – who have been temporarily displaced or lost their homes and belongings in the flood. We have set up a flood website that provides resources ranging from victims financial assistance to psychiatric help to legal services.
With your help, the CU-Boulder Disaster Recovery Fund has topped $217,000. Cash cards of $500 per household are available to assist current faculty and employees who are displaced from their homes. The online application form for the funding is accessible through the campus’s flood resources website.
In addition to receiving help from the local and global community, CU students, faculty and staff were quick to provide flood assistance by volunteering their time and expertise. About 200 CU-Boulder students gave up their Saturday to clear mud and debris away from homes in Boulder; CU Denver civil engineering professor Kevin Rens and his students inspected 22 footbridges over Cherry Creek for damage; UCCS students repaired trails at the Garden of the Gods.
While the majority of our CU-Boulder campus is well above the flood plain, about 80 buildings received minor damage from water in basements, crawlspaces and in low-lying sections. The cleanup has already begun and, in many instances, concluded.
The rebuilding will continue in the months ahead; many of these efforts are possible through your support. On behalf of the University of Colorado, I thank you.
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