Taking steps to prepare for disasters

Aug 12, 2009      Pryor Daily Times

Julie Yates

Aug. 12, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- County officials and leaders met Monday afternoon to begin the process of updating Mayes County's Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The hazard mitigation plan is a preventative plan that assesses and takes action against hazards posing a threat to communities.

The plan allows communities to be eligible for federal funding for projects that will help prevent disaster. The plan provides guidance to lessen the impact of natural and man made hazards.

County Emergency Management Director Johnny Janzen said the hazard mitigation plan will identify hazards or disasters that may affect Mayes County. The updated plan will include mitigation measures to help prevent loss of life or property in the event of a disaster.

Each town and community can designate projects for preventative measures in case of a disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will fund 75 percent of the cost of disaster prevention projects for towns or jurisdictions with a hazard mitigation plan in place.

Janzen said the Town of Chouteau received storm sirens through the mitigation plan. FEMA paid 75 percent of the cost.

The City of Pryor recently completed its update after nearly a year of meetings and planning by local officials.

R.D. Flanagan, planning consultant, said $58 million in hazard mitigation funding is available in Oklahoma.

"This program can be a tremendous benefit to your community," said Flanagan. He commended Janzen, calling him "one of the best" in knowing how to access

government funding.

After Nov. 1, 2004, the federal government limited FEMA funding to communities and cities with a hazard mitigation plan in place. With the plan, Flanagan said the government will award an additional 15 percent of the cost of a disaster.

Flanagan said the most important reason for hazard mitigation planning is community leaders can work together to study the hazards that pose a threat to the county.

Flanagan described emergency management as the bridge between "it'll never happen to me" and "we're all going to die." Flanagan said the chance of Mayes County residents being affected by a natural disaster "is almost a certainty."

Oklahoma had nine presidentially declared disasters in 2008, more than any other state in the nation. Flanagan said the variation of climate is the reason Oklahoma has such violent weather. The hot arid zone, the temperate zone and the hot humid zone all converge within the state.

There are 10 steps in the planning process. The first step, said Flanagan, is to organize.

Flanagan stressed the importance of schools being involved, because FEMA will provide safe rooms for schools. School districts are separate from city jurisdictions and cannot be included with the city. To be involved in the plan, the school must have a representative on the planning committee.

Janzen said he plans to contact county schools before the next hazard mitigation meeting, held in September.

The second step in the planning process is to involve the public. Citizens are encouraged to comment on the plan. FEMA requires at least one public meeting before the plan is submitted.

Step three is coordinating with other agencies. Businesses and chambers of commerce should be involved, said Flanagan. The mitigation plan should include procedures for dealing with hazardous materials, transportation hazards and transportation events.

Assessing hazards and their potential risks is the fourth step. Hazards that could impact Mayes County include floods, tornadoes, high winds, lightning, hail, severe winter storms, extreme heat, drought, urban fires, wildfires and more.

Step five is assessing the problem. In the planning process, the committee will consider how hazards have affected the communities in the past. The hazard will be categorized according to the community's vulnerability and the probability of each hazard reoccurring.

In step six, the committee will help develop goals and objectives and an action plan.

The seventh step is reviewing possible mitigation measures. Flanagan said FEMA requires two activities for each hazard. These measures could include methods of educating the public or prevention activities such as zoning and building codes. Other activities may be structural projects such as storm water detention systems, property protection (acquisition, insurance), emergency services (warning systems, evacuation) or natural resource protection.

Step eight is drafting the action plan. Because the planning process takes a long time to complete, Flanagan suggested beginning the process within 2 1/2 years of the plan's expiration date. The mitigation plan requires an update every five years.

The last steps are adopting the plan and implementing, evaluating and revising. FEMA reviews the plan and sends it back with a report of the changes needed.

Following are a few facts Flanagan presented about how hazards affect communities:

--Oklahoma has the third highest insurance rates in the nation, behind Florida and California.

--Sixty-five percent of businesses destroyed or damaged in major disasters fail within two years.

--Sixty-two percent of people who refuse to evacuate do so because they will not leave their pets.

--In weather related fatalities, extreme heat is the highest cause of death.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0439-37180250

Return to full Washington Letter