Richland County's Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Completed, Available to the Public

The Richland County DES finished the County and City Hazard Mitigation Plan on Jan. 9.

According to the letter penned by Emergency Manager Brandon Roth, the Richland County Hazard Mitigation Plan is a document and plan that defines the larger hazards, both manmade and natural, that Richland County may face. The mitigation plan is a 146-page document created with the input of the county's LEPC or Local Emergency Planning Committee which included leaders from the fire department, law enforcement, ambulance service, schools, county and city public works, mayors, and commissioners. The public was even asked to contribute via surveys sent out by mail and over social media. Roth said, "We really appreciate everyone's participation and support on this. We got a lot of input on projects we could do to help keep everyone safe".

Richland County's updated mitigation plan lists several key issues regarding flooding, hazardous chemical release, severe summer storms, severe winter storms, drought, wildfires, communicable diseases, landslides, dams, and terrorism and violence. The plan goes on to give the reason for the study and a little history of the area. It lists the key hazard risks and vulnerabilities as well as the plan that was decided for each issue. There is also a risk and vulnerability assessment that residents, organizations, local governments, and other interested participants can utilize when planning for hazards.

According to the mitigation plan the 1988 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, provides a legal basis for state, local and Tribal governments to reduce risks from natural hazards through mitigation planning. Before the act, it was only necessary for the individual states to have a plan. The Richland County Hazard Mitigation Plan is available to the public for viewing in the Disaster & Emergency Services department of http://www.richland.org.