Click the link to read the article on The Durango Herald website (Tyler Brown). Here’s an excerpt:
November 10, 2026
La Plata County estimates about $7.5 million in flood damage to private properties based on 412 submissions to the county’s Crisis Track Disaster Survivor Portal. As of Monday, the county was still assessing damage to public infrastructure, including buildings, roads and bridges, and had not yet determined an estimated cost of repairs. County spokeswoman Emily Spencer said the county is awaiting a federal disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which would make federal assistance available to help residents affected by the flooding. Spencer said a federal disaster declaration would make two types of FEMA assistance available: public assistance and individual financial assistance.
“Public (assistance) is the infrastructure finance and funding that would go to governments to rebuild their roads,” Spencer said…
Individual assistance would go directly to those who’s properties have been damaged by the flooding. La Plata County was not included in Colorado’s initial request for a federal major disaster declaration following last month’s flooding. Gov. Jared Polis initially requested the declaration for Archuleta and Rio Grande counties, where the state had identified nearly $27 million in damages eligible for federal public assistance. La Plata County officials are gathering information on damage to homes and public infrastructure, including roads, bridges and public buildings, and sharing those assessments with state officials for consideration. County-level damage assessments help Colorado officials evaluate the extent of the impact and provide information to the federal government as part of the request for a major disaster declaration.