Montrose, COLO. — Montrose County Emergency Management, Public Works, and Fairgrounds and Event Center have teamed up to install a self-serve sandbag filling station at the fairgrounds available to local residents. The goal of the station is to help homeowners reinforce their property due to high water and flooding potential. The sandbags and sand available at the station are provided free of charge by the county. The sandbag filling station is located on the south side of the beef barn—directly across from the Pythian Avenue entrance to the fairgrounds. It will be open from dawn to dusk. Residents need to bring their own shovels to fill the bags.
“Floods are among the most common weather hazards in the United States. Flooding has already occurred across the county and we are approaching a higher than normal run-off season due to snow accumulations,” said Emergency Manager Greg Fisher. “While there is no immediate danger at this time, we want to plan ahead and offer this service to residents. This sandbag filling station helps provide another tool for homeowners to protect their property.”
Montrose County urges residents to determine if they live in a flood plain and purchase flood insurance as needed. To find out if your house is in a flood plain, please visit https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search and enter your address.
Residents are also encouraged to be prepared and plan ahead for emergencies. The first step is to create an emergency plan and 72-hour kit. Your plan should include the five P’s: people, pets, prescriptions, photos, and personal computer(s). Including the five P’s is essential to five things will have provide a solid foundation for a plan. Visit ready.gov for plan examples and other preparedness tips. Having a 72-hour kit and resources readily available improves response to emergencies. Please sign-up for CodeRED, the county’s emergency notification system for wireless phones, at montrosecountysheriffsoffice.com.
Official updates and preparedness tips are available on the county’s emergency management Facebook page at fb.com/montrosecountyOEM.
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