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Colorado floods: Final name crossed off list of 1,200 missing

This aerial photo shows flood damage in Greeley, Colo., during a helicopter tour by Vice President Joe Biden, Gov. John Hickenlooper and FEMA officials. About 2,000 square miles remain flooded.
(Kathryn Scott Osler / Associated Press)
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The last missing person in the Colorado flood zone has been found, crossing off the final name on a list that at one point included 1,200 unaccounted-for residents, officials announced Tuesday.

The last missing person was identified as Jon-Erik Huffspater, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Schulz told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. Huffspater has been accounted for, officials announced via Twitter. No other information about him was released.

One other person is missing in Larimer County but is presumed dead, he said.

At its peak earlier this month, 643 people were missing or unaccounted for in Larimer County alone, Schulz said. Names were added as relatives called in to say they hadn’t heard from their loved ones and names were taken off as people were evacuated from flood zones, showed up in evacuation shelters or contacted officials.

At least eight people are confirmed dead, according to state officials, and at least two more are presumed to have died in the floods.

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The flooding began with serious rainfall Sept. 12, adding to already saturated ground.

About 2,000 square miles remain flooded. About 20,000 homes were damages or destroyed, according to state officials. More than 200 miles of state highways and 50 state bridges have been damaged.

There is no official estimate of the cost of the damage, but the state has said it will take $135 million just to start repairs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has said it approved $22.1 million in individual assistance, most of it to help people repair homes or find temporary shelter. More than 15,600 people have applied to FEMA for funds.

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