WILLMAR — Kandiyohi County is looking for public input regarding county updates to the Multi-Hazard Mitigation plan (MHMP), according to a Kandiyohi County Emergency Management news release.
The Kandiyohi County MHMP is a multi-jurisdictional plan that covers Kandiyohi County, including the cities of Atwater, Blomkest, Kandiyohi, Lake Lillian, New London, Pennock, Prinsburg, Raymond, Regal, Spicer, Sunburg and Willmar. The Kandiyohi County MHMP also incorporates the concerns and needs of townships, school districts, and other stakeholders participating in the plan.
“Hazard mitigation planning is a central part of our emergency management program,” Kim Lindahl, Kandiyohi County Emergency Management Director said. “Understanding the natural hazards that can cause serious impact to our communities and taking action to reduce or eliminate the impact of future disasters makes us more resilient. Hazard mitigation helps us to break the cycle of damage and repair caused by things like flooding, ice storms, and severe wind events that can damage property, stress economies, and threaten life safety in our county.”
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires counties to update the plan every five years to maintain eligibility for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs.
As part of the planning process, the county is seeking feedback from residents and businesses from across the county to incorporate into the plan:
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What are the natural hazards you feel pose the greatest risk to your community?
Have you experienced a previous disaster event?
What concerns do you have, and what sorts of mitigation actions or projects do you feel would help to reduce the damages of potential future events for your personal property, your community, or the County as a whole?
Comments, concerns, or questions regarding natural disasters and potential mitigation actions to be included into the plan update process should be submitted to Kandiyohi County Emergency Management.
There will be additional opportunities for public feedback throughout the planning process. A draft of the plan will be posted on the County website for public review prior to submission of the plan to the State of Minnesota. Future news releases will be shared with the media to notify the public of these opportunities.
