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Jamestown Post Office Opens For First Time Since Floods

JAMESTOWN, Colo. (CBS4) – Nearly five months after floods devastated Colorado, the U.S. Post Office in Jamestown is back open for business.

Jamestown was hit particularly hard by the floods with many homes and businesses wiped away.

On Saturday families celebrated this new milestone in their recovery efforts.

"It's a gigantic piece of infrastructure that's been missing," said resident Christy Howe.

Balloons were placed outside to celebrate what the people of Jamestown are calling a big step in their recovery.

"It's huge, we have been driving 45 minutes each way just to get our mail whether it's down in Boulder or Nederland," said Jamestown Mayor Tara Schoedinger.

Schoedinger said the town of about 300 people has bounced back from the devastation. Many homes are now equipped with temporary water supplies and road access has increased dramatically.

With the post office now open it is hoped many more may now return home.

"It starts to return a little sense of normalcy to the community," said Schoedinger.

Though the town has come a long way since the floods, damage is still easily found and 90 percent of the population is still displaced.

The town is now preparing for spring and the possibility of more floods.

"We're looking to get some protective measures in the stream corridor that was so horribly damaged by the flood ahead of spring runoff," said Schoedinger.

While the town still has a long way to go, for Jamestown families, each milestone passed means they're that much closer to getting things back to normal.

"It's a huge step. Very mental and emotional," said Howe.

Crews are also working on restoring water to residents and hope to have clean drinking water restored for the entire town by August.

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