Natural phenomena such as floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, are a part of the world around us. Their occurrence is natural and inevitable, and there is little we can do to control their force and intensity. However, through hazard mitigation planning, we can control what comes afterward. By minimizing the impact of natural phenomena upon our built environment, we can prevent such events from resulting in disasters.
“Hazard mitigation” is simply a technical term for reducing risks to people and property from natural hazards. It includes both structural measures, such as protecting buildings and infrastructure from the forces of wind and water, and non-structural measures, such as natural resource protection and wise floodplain management. These activities can target existing development or seek to protect future development by avoiding any new hazardous construction. It is widely accepted that the most effective mitigation measures are implemented at the local government level, where decisions on the regulation and control of development are ultimately made.
The easiest way a community can get serious about hazard mitigation is through the development and adoption of a local hazard mitigation plan. A mitigation plan will ensure that measures to reduce the present and future vulnerability of a community are thoroughly considered before, during, and after the next disaster strikes.
Mitigation planning offers many benefits that include:
Recently, both the State of Kansas and the U.S. Congress made the development of a hazard mitigation plan a specific eligibility requirement for any local government applying for mitigation grant funding and for receiving federal disaster assistance.
More importantly, mitigation planning has the potential to produce long-term and recurring benefits by breaking the repetitive cycle of disaster loss. A core assumption of mitigation is that current dollars invested in mitigation practices will significantly reduce the demand for future dollars by lessening the amount needed for emergency recovery, repair and reconstruction. Further, these mitigation practices will enable local residents, businesses and industries to re-establish themselves in the wake of a disaster, getting the community economy back on track sooner and with less interruption.
Mitigation planning will also lead to benefits that go beyond solely reducing hazard vulnerability. Measures such as the acquisition or regulation of land in known hazard areas can help achieve multiple community goals, such as preserving open space, maintaining environmental health and natural features, and enhancing recreational opportunities.
Douglas County, with a population of 99,962 persons (U.S. Census, 2000), is located in the east-central region of Kansas and is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a wide range of natural phenomena. These phenomena threaten the life and safety of county residents, and have the potential to damage or destroy both public and private property, create cascading hazards from secondary sources, and disrupt the local economy and overall quality of life. The county government, its residents and businesses have suffered disaster losses in years past that exceed millions of dollars and resulted in the loss of life.
Beginning in the early-1980’s, Douglas County established a firm commitment to reducing the potential for future disaster losses by participation in the NFIP and CRS programs. Following the 1993 flood, Douglas County and the City of Lawrence were awarded funding in order to mitigate both public and private property against future events. The County designed and installed lift stations in North Lawrence to reduce the impact of flooding along 2nd Street to help protect flood-damaged or flood-prone structures. This mitigation project has already proven effective in decreasing floodwaters north of the Kansas River. Additionally, funding has been used to acquire property to restrict development in flood-prone areas of the county.
In an effort to sustain this local commitment to hazard mitigation, Douglas County has prepared this first version of a Hazard Mitigation Plan. At its most inner core, the Plan recommends specific actions to combat the forces of nature and protect its residents from hazard losses. These actions go beyond simply recommending structural solutions to reduce existing vulnerability, such as elevation and acquisition projects. Local policies on community growth and development, incentives for natural resource protection, and public awareness and outreach activities are examples of other actions considered to reduce Douglas County’s future vulnerability to natural hazards. The Plan has been designed to be a living document with implementation and evaluation procedures included to help achieve meaningful objectives and successful outcomes.
This Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed under a hazard-planning grant awarded to Douglas County by the Kansas Department of Emergency Management in January 2004.
The purpose of this Hazard Mitigation Plan is:
· To qualify for participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) and receive additional credits under the program;
This Hazard Mitigation Plan will be maintained to fully address the hazards determined to be “high risk” and “moderate risk.” Other hazards, though not required to be addressed, will be considered within this Plan.
The geographic scope for the Hazard Mitigation Plan includes all incorporated and unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
This Hazard Mitigation Plan has been adopted by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners under the authority and powers granted to counties in Kansas Statutes Annotated.
This Plan has been developed to be in accordance with current rules and regulations governing local hazard mitigation plans. The Plan shall be routinely monitored to maintain compliance with the following legislation:
(1) Home Rule Powers: Article 12 Section 5 – Kansas Constitution
(2) Kansas Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, K.S.A. 65-5701 through 65-5711, and Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Title III, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Pub. L. 99-499
(a) Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, Pub. L. No. 81-920, as amended
(b) K.A.R. 56-2, Standards for Local Disaster Agencies
(3) The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390 – October 30, 2000).
The participants in the development of this Hazard Mitigation included the Douglas County Local Emergency Planning Committee, and other designated public officials from the incorporated cities and Douglas County:
Paula Phillips – Douglas County Emergency Management Director
Keith Dabney - Douglas County Planning and Zoning
Keith Browning – Douglas County Public Works Director
Craig Weinaug – Douglas County Administrator
Linda Finger - Director of Planning, Lawrence
Brad Hauschild, Bryan P. Dyer - Long-Range Planners, Lawrence
Chad Voigt - Lawrence Public Works Stormwater Engineering
Bryce Hirschman - Lawrence/Douglas County Geographic Information Systems Coordinator
Richard Treas – Eudora Zoning/Planning/Floodplain Administrator/Building Inspections
Spencer McCabe – Eudora Fire Chief
Greg Dahlem – Eudora Police Chief
Jim Hughes, - Lecompton Planning Commission
Sandy Nichols - Lecompton City Clerk
Jeff Dingman – City Administrator - Baldwin City
Tina Rakes – Codes and Zoning Department – Baldwin City
Terry McKinney - Director of Public Works – Baldwin City
Robert Trepenski - Lawrence Memorial Hospital
Douglas County utilized the process recommended by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) to develop this Hazard Mitigation Plan. In short, the process included the following steps, listed in the order in which they were undertaken:
1. Hazard Identification and Analysis
2. County Vulnerability Assessment
3. Mitigation Capabilities Assessment
4. Mitigation Goals
4. Mitigation Strategy
Step 1, Hazard Identification and Analysis, describes and analyzes the natural phenomena present in Douglas County that can threaten human life and damage property. It includes historical data on past hazard occurrences, and establishes hazard profiles and risk indices based upon hazard frequency, magnitude and impact. The risk index forms the basic foundation for focusing and prioritizing mitigation efforts.
Step 2, County Vulnerability Assessment, was completed predominantly through investigative research along with the use of GIS technology and best available data. It includes narrative descriptions on community characteristics, such as Douglas County’s geographical, economic and demographic profiles, and discusses future development trends and implications for hazard vulnerability. To graphically depict hazard vulnerability, this section also included 14 county vulnerability assessment maps.
Step 3, Mitigation Capabilities Assessment, provides a comprehensive examination of Douglas County’s capacity to implement meaningful mitigation strategies, and identifies existing opportunities for program enhancement. Capabilities addressed in this section include staff and organizational capability, technical capability, policy and program capability, fiscal capability, legal authority and political willpower. The purpose of this assessment is to identify any existing gaps, weaknesses or conflicts in local programs/activities that may hinder mitigation efforts, or to identify those local activities that can be built upon in establishing a successful county hazard mitigation program.
Steps 1, 2, and 3 are collectively referred to as background studies, and form the basis for designing the community’s hazard mitigation strategy. These three studies have been included as appendices to the Hazard Mitigation Plan, for they are simply reference material and not considered “action” components of the Plan.
The conclusion of these three-background studies result in the formation of community goal statements (Step 4) and set the stage for developing, adopting and implementing a meaningful Hazard Mitigation Strategy (Step 5) for Douglas County. These two steps help make the Plan strategic and functional for implementation purposes, and ultimately are the “action” components of the plan. Following the completion of Step 5, Douglas County concentrated on designing measures to ensure the Plan’s ultimate implementation, and adopted evaluation and enhancement procedures to ensure the Plan is routinely updated.
Douglas County’s mitigation planning process was initiated in January 2004, when the county was awarded a grant by KDEM. Shortly following the execution of the Grant, Douglas County negotiated a subcontract with E-Fm Consulting, LLC (E-Fm) to facilitate their mitigation planning efforts. Over the course of the next five (5) months, E-Fm was charged to work in close collaboration with Douglas County officials to prepare the Hazard Analysis and Mitigation Plan. Regular meetings were scheduled between E-Fm and Ms. Paula Phillips, the county official designated with prime responsibility for the planning effort. Additional meetings were held to include the community and other members of the Douglas County Local Emergency Planning Committee. A number of officials at both the state and local government level were contacted throughout the planning process for specific information and technical expertise.
For additional information, or to request a copy of the entire document, please contact:
Paula Phillips, Douglas County Emergency Management
785-838-2460