County to review disaster plan

The process to update the county’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan has begun. The plan, which includes strategy to reduce impacts of natural and manmade hazards in the county, must be updated every five years in order for the county to remain eligible for disaster funding from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA).

The public is invited to provide input on past hazard events and how to mitigate the effects of events such as wildfire, flooding, severe weather, railroad accidents and other hazards.

The county received a $50,000 FEMA Homeland Security grant to update the plan, according to Bill Naegeli with the Sanders County Office of Emergency Management. Tetra Tech, the consulting and engineering firm assisting the county with the plan, also created the original plan for Sanders County.

Naegeli said that there aren’t a lot of changes since the 2012 mitigation plan. He said there is more emphasis on active shooter and armed intruder situations.

“Wildfire is still the number one priority,” Naegeli said, followed by floods and major weather events. He said the plan identifies areas that could be a problem during a hazard. For example, during wildfires, many of the roads are one way in and one way out. Naegeli said that the plan will help identify what else can be done in those situations, such as using alternate evacuation routes or staging areas.

Naegeli said he doesn’t foresee a lot of change in the county’s plan, but they need the community’s input.

Two public meetings will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8. The first will be 9:30 a.m. in the Justice Court courtroom at the Sanders County courthouse. The second meeting will be at noon in the Avista multi-purpose room at Noxon Rapids Dam.

The mitigation plan is required by FEMA in order to receive funds after a declared disaster. According to Tetra Tech, $100 million is available each year in grants for hazard mitigation projects. Types of mitigation projects can include property protection, emergency services, natural resource protection, planning, analysis and public education and awareness.

The process to update the plan will include reviewing the current mitigation plan from 2012, identifying any new hazards and updating existing hazard information, goals and risk assessment.

The planning team will hold bi-weekly meetings during November, December and January. A public meeting to review the draft risk assessment and mitigation strategy will be held in February and the plan will be submitted to FEMA in late spring 2019.

For more information, call Naegeli at (406) 827-6955 or go to https://countypdm.com and click on Sanders County. The password is Thompson Falls.