July 16--To many living in the foothills of the Front Range, the concept of flood insurance at one point could have been as foreign as a two-euro bill. After all, flooding is what happens along the coast or next to rivers, not in mountain neighborhoods.

The wildfires of June followed by the monsoon rains of early July have certainly changed those perceptions.

Ground that two months ago was soft and firmly rooted with grasses, shrubs and trees now suffers from a condition known as hydrophobic soils. It is where a fire has burned so hot that it has incinerated all organic matter that would have helped gather moisture as well as created a hard crust that repels any rain that does fall.

The one-two punch of fires and floods has been loaded. But while a fire is sustained for only a few days or weeks, the newfound potential for devastating floods will last for at least the next few years, according to experts from Colorado State University. The only good news is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has waived its requirement for a delay period between the time a homeowner buys flood insurance and when it kicks in. The agency recognizes how quickly the circumstances have changed for many homeowners.

In neighborhoods from Fort Collins through Colorado Springs and points south, residents who live in the area between forests and prairies need to be aware the next danger might come in the form of that for which they prayed: rain. Storms that come in late July and early August pulling moisture from the Gulf of California and Gulf of Mexico will have the potential to add to the destructive nature of this season's disasters.

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