Help update Deschutes Co. natural hazards plan

Deschutes County has experienced the effects of various natural hazards. The most prevalent natural hazard is wildland fire, occurring yearly and threatening lives, homes and natural resources in Central Oregon.

Also occurring are severe winter storms, flooding, and even the threat of volcanic eruption and earthquake. As the population of the County has increased, so has the potential for exposure to these natural hazards, putting the area’s residents and visitors at a greater risk than in the past.

Deschutes County is partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience at the University of Oregon to update the County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan.

The plan, originally adopted in 2005, has proved to be a useful tool in meeting the continued challenge to prevent losses from natural hazards and address natural hazard planning in other county planning efforts.

This questionnaire is designed to help gauge perceptions and opinions regarding the risk of and vulnerability to natural hazards in Deschutes County and its cities.

The information provided about vulnerability to natural hazards will help improve public/private coordination of hazard mitigation and risk reduction efforts within Deschutes County. Your input is an extremely valuable part of the process.

Qualtrics Survey: https://oregon.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_e2sjDyenfqWf7gx

The existing plan was updated in 2010 and is due for update in May of this year. This update will also include city specific addendums for each of the cities in Deschutes County, which is new for 2015, said Sgt. Nathan Garibay, the county emergency services manager..

The NHMP is a document submitted to and approved by Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This document helps communities identify risks and associated mitigation strategies. An approved NHMP is required to receive federal pre-disaster mitigation funds to address known natural hazards in the community. Ultimately, the document aids communities in achieving higher levels of disaster resilience.

An important component of this process is public engagement regarding risk and community resilience. The NHMP Steering Committee in collaboration with OPDR has developed a survey. We ask that citizens and property owners take a few minutes to complete the survey, which will assist planners in developing mitigation strategies and gauge community knowledge of risks in Deschutes County.