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Denver Hazard Mitigation Plan Story Map

City and County of Denver

Introduction
Communicable Disease Outbreak ...
Critical Infrastructure Failur...
Cyber Incident
Dam Failure
Drought
Earthquake
Expansive Soils and Subsidence
Extreme Heat
Extreme Cold
Flooding (River and Urban)
Hazardous Materials Incident
Mass Influx of Evacuees
Severe Thunderstorms (Hail, Li...
Severe Winter Storms
Social Unrest
Space Weather
Terrorism and Mass Violence
Tornadoes
Transportation Incident
Urban Conflagration
Volcanic Ash
Wildland Fires

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Lighting striking over city of Denver

Empty green cots and chairs in a large room set up for emergency shelter at the National Western Center complex — Dorms being set up at the National Western Center for contingency sheltering during the COVID-19 Pandemic response

Graphic of how viruses can be transmitted

A steel bridge has fallen into a river, cars are seen in the water. Not a photo from Denver.

Chart of 14 cyber incidents in the Colorado area from 2005 to 2021 — Recent Cyber Attacks in Colorado

Data Breach

Graph of Natural Climate variability through time and types of droughts, leading to economic, social and environmental impacts — Natural Climate Variability

Chart of drought conditions in Denver since 2000, with 8 prolonged periods of moderate to extreme drought — Denver Drought Time Series Chart

Chart of Richter scale magnitude measurements from less than 2.0 through 9.0 ang greater — Richter Scale Table

Table describing the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, measuring how people feel earthquakes — Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale Table

series of images showing small nugget of claystone expanding to more than three times its original size — Highly Expansive Claystone before, during, and after the addition of Water

Large white abstract statues of dancers seen from below with painters in a crane ladder adding white paint to an arm — With the sun beating down, two Denverites put a fresh coat of white paint on the sculpture "Dancers" in the heat of the day in Denver, Colorado, on Monday, June 25, 2007. Denver reached a high of 99 degrees- a degree short of tying the record of 100 for June 25. (CHRIS SCHNEIDER/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) *Jorge Martinez (cq), Robert Cervantes (cq)

Graph of Denver annual temperatures from 1895 to 2020, with the trend line increasing 2 degrees Fahrenheit — City and County of Denver Average Annual Temperature 1895-2020 Chart

Chart of health impacts noted by the National Weather Service from 80 to 130 degrees — Typical Health Impacts of Extreme Heat by Heat Index Table

Graph of temperatures from 80 to 100 degrees showing increasing likelihood of heat disorders after exposure or activity — Heat Index Chart

National Weather Service Wind Chill chart with frostbite times highlighted for temperatures below 10 degrees — Wind Chill Chart

Illustration of floodplains showing normal water levels, the base flood elevation within the floodway, and the full 100 year flood plain including fringe — Floodplain Terminology

Water levels at a residential intersection rise to just below the windows of a parked car — Flooding in Denver

The front of a car on the roadway is covered in floodwaters — Denver Flooding

Three men work on a car that is stuck in standing water on a Denver road. — Flash Flooding and and standing water slowed traffic and stalled cars in the Capitol hill area of Denver August 14, 2006

Map of designated routes and buffer zones for hazardous materials on Denver's interstates and rail lines — Hazardous Materials Routes in Denver

Chart showing the majority of incidents since 1990 have been at fixed locations, with others in mobile sites, railroad and storage tanks — Hazardous Materials Incidents by Type of 1990–2019

vintage photo of black smoke rising from the Stapleton fuel fire — Denver Stapleton Fuel Fire 1990

Chart of hail size, with anything over 1 inch in diameter counting as severe — Hailstone Measurements

Graph of 8 hailstorms in Denver by cost of damages, with the most expensive in May 2017 — Most Expensive Hailstorms in the Denver Metro Region

Chart of the six levels of lightning activity, from least to most severe — Lightning Activity Level Scale

Map of the US showing lightning density in different colors: Colorado inset shows medium levels of density that increase slightly from west to east — Average US Total Lightning Density Per County 2015-2019

Chart of the Beaufort wind scale from 0 to 12 with designated miles per hour and effect on land increasing throughout — Beaufort Wind Scale

Chart of storms in Denver since 1881; the highest is 45 inches in December 1913, the most recent is 27 inches in March 2021 — Largest Denver Snowstorms 1881-2021

Dozens of cars are stopped on a snowy road — Car Pile-up in Denver on I-25 on March 1, 2014

Chart of 6 protest and riot events from 1880, 1920, 1998, 200, 2008 and 2020 — Notable Instances of Social Unrest in Denver

Police with batons line the streets with protestors behind in park area. A man with an American flag is in the foreground. — Occupy Denver Protest

A person in a gas mask and a second person walk by an overturned car on Larimer Street in 1998 — Denver Super Bowl Riot on Larimer in 1998

Vintage photo of crowds on the street at a Klan rally in Denver, with light smoke visible in the background — Denver Klan Rally Riot MLK Day 1992

Color coded chart of domestic terror events since 1994, with the highest number of events in 2020; the majority of dots are yellow referring to far-right violence — Domestic Terrorist Attacks in The US 1994-2021

pie chart of active shooter locations since 2000, with the majority in businesses, open spaces and schools. — Active Shooter Incident Locations, 2000-2019

NOAA illustration of tornado damages at different wind speeds — Potential Damage Impacts from a Tornado

Graph of the Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scale for measuring tornado severity from 0 to 4 — The Fujita Scale and Enhanced Fujita Scale

Collage of vintage photos after a tornado in Denver in 1988, showing trees, signs and roofs damage — Damage from a Denver Tornado on June 15, 1988

A black funnel cloud is seen over tall buildings in south Denver — View from the Denver Tech Center looking at a tornado touch down near I-225 and Parker Road

dozens of cars in a mass crash, a truck and bus are also stopped, with emergency personnel working on the scene — Denver mass car pileup on I-25 on March 1, 2014

flames and dark smoke emerge from a building on Emerson street in 2018, police and fire trucks are on the scene — Emerson Street Fire, March 2018

smoke rises from a blackened fire damaged structure — Emerson Street Fire, March 2018

Map of the US showing volcano and ash fall hazards in the western states, Colorado is not in a hazard zone — Volcanic Hazards in the United States based on activity during the last 15,000 years

Dorms being set up at the National Western Center for contingency sheltering during the COVID-19 Pandemic response

Recent Cyber Attacks in Colorado

Data Breach

Natural Climate Variability

Denver Drought Time Series Chart

Richter Scale Table

Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale Table

Highly Expansive Claystone before, during, and after the addition of Water

With the sun beating down, two Denverites put a fresh coat of white paint on the sculpture "Dancers" in the heat of the day in Denver, Colorado, on Monday, June 25, 2007. Denver reached a high of 99 degrees- a degree short of tying the record of 100 for June 25. (CHRIS SCHNEIDER/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) *Jorge Martinez (cq), Robert Cervantes (cq)

City and County of Denver Average Annual Temperature 1895-2020 Chart

Typical Health Impacts of Extreme Heat by Heat Index Table

Heat Index Chart

Wind Chill Chart

Floodplain Terminology

Flooding in Denver

Denver Flooding

Flash Flooding and and standing water slowed traffic and stalled cars in the Capitol hill area of Denver August 14, 2006

Hazardous Materials Routes in Denver

Hazardous Materials Incidents by Type of 1990–2019

Denver Stapleton Fuel Fire 1990

Hailstone Measurements

Most Expensive Hailstorms in the Denver Metro Region

Lightning Activity Level Scale

Average US Total Lightning Density Per County 2015-2019

Beaufort Wind Scale

Largest Denver Snowstorms 1881-2021

Car Pile-up in Denver on I-25 on March 1, 2014

Notable Instances of Social Unrest in Denver

Occupy Denver Protest

Denver Super Bowl Riot on Larimer in 1998

Denver Klan Rally Riot MLK Day 1992

Domestic Terrorist Attacks in The US 1994-2021

Active Shooter Incident Locations, 2000-2019

Potential Damage Impacts from a Tornado

The Fujita Scale and Enhanced Fujita Scale

Damage from a Denver Tornado on June 15, 1988

View from the Denver Tech Center looking at a tornado touch down near I-225 and Parker Road

Denver mass car pileup on I-25 on March 1, 2014

Emerson Street Fire, March 2018

Emerson Street Fire, March 2018

Volcanic Hazards in the United States based on activity during the last 15,000 years