County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Tulare County Office of Emergency Services (OES), in conjunction with incorporated cities and special districts in Tulare County and the Tule River Tribe, has begun the process of drafting a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The HMP will analyze a wide range of potential natural and man-made hazards, and prioritize future projects that will reduce damage and impacts from disasters. The county-wide plan is expected to be completed by September 2011.
The plan will encompass all unincorporated areas within the county, as well as the cities of Dinuba, Exeter, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Visalia, and Woodlake, and Tule River Tribe Lands.
Once the HMP is approved, Tulare County and other plan participants will be eligible to apply for and receive Federal hazard mitigation funds following a disaster, as well as certain types of pre-disaster hazard mitigation funding. The HMP is being completed as per the requirements in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (see below for more information about this Act).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for reviewing and approving state and local plans. For information about the FEMA’s requirements for preparation of HMPs, please see FEMA’s Local Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance at the following link:
http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3336
Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee
Under the direction of OES, a Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee has been created to steer development of the HMP. The Committee includes county, city, special district, and tribal representatives, as well as representatives from state and federal agencies with facilities and responsibilities in Tulare County.
Public Input
A draft of the HMP will be made available by April 2011, or sooner, for the public to review. County-wide Workshops will be held for public input, concerning ways we can effectively prevent disaster losses before they occur. Workshop details will be posted on this website.
Disasters in Tulare County
Like all areas, Tulare County is vulnerable to disasters, including fires, flooding, and severe freezing. Each year these hazards cause damage that is not significant enough for a disaster declaration, but nonetheless cost county residents, businesses, and taxpayers millions of dollars. As the county's population continues to grow, the risks posed by these hazards increase.
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000
In response to the rising cost of responding to, and recovering from, disasters, the President signed the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390) on October 30, 2000. Among other initiatives, the law encourages a planning process based on cooperation between state and local authorities, tribes, and the community-at-large, to reduce the effects of disasters. The law rewards local and state pre-disaster planning and promotes sustainability as a strategy for disaster resistance. Under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, states and local governments must have an approved, adopted hazard mitigation plan in place to be eligible for disaster assistance. For more information, please see the following link for the text of the Disaster Mitigation Act:
http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1935
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Public Workshops regarding the Draft Tulare County Hazard Mitigation Plan will be held on July 21, 2011. See the attached agenda for details on times and locations of the workshops.
2004 Deep Fire