Saline County along with Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, and Smith Counties are in the process of completing the North Central Kansas (Region F) Multi-Hazard, Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
This Hazard Mitigation Plan addresses a comprehensive list of hazards ranging from tornados and floods to severe weather events such as drought and winter storms, and will assess the likely impacts of these hazards on the county.
Saline County Emergency Management Director, Hannah Stambaugh, says “This plan will set goals and prioritize projects to reduce the impacts of future disasters on citizens and property. In addition, having an approved Mitigation Plan will allow for the county to maintain its eligibility for funding from FEMA.”
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) was passed requiring that units of local government (cities, townships, and counties) need to have a mitigation plan approved in order to receive any grant money from disasters occurring after November 1st, 2004.
Besides the financial considerations, other benefits to communities that plan for natural hazards before disasters strike – what planners refer to as mitigation planning – include:
An increased understanding of hazards faced by communities
More sustainable and disaster-resistant communities
Financial savings through partnerships that support planning and mitigation efforts
Focused use of limited resources on hazards that have the biggest impact on a community
Reduced long-term impacts and damages to human health and structures and reduced repair costs
This project was coordinated through the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the counties within North Central Kansas. This mitigation plan was funded 100% through State grant funds. Stambaugh concludes that “public input from area residents is one of the most important ways of gauging the adequacy of local mitigation plans.”
To review the North Central Kansas Hazard Mitigation Plan and submit feedback and comments, visit www.saline.org and click on the link for Emergency Management to find the “Region F Hazard Mitigation Plan” on their page. We encourage citizens to take the survey in the link on the website to provide us with additional information and comments. For additional questions, please contact Saline County Emergency Management at 785-826-6511.