History of the Hazard in Benton County

322 Pages·2008·22.87 MB·English

Benton County
Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
Prepared for: Benton County, Adair Village, Albany, Corvallis, Monroe, Philomath
© 2010, University of Oregon’s Community Service Center
Photos: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives
Benton County
Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
Report for:
Benton County
P.O. Box 3020
Corvallis, OR 97339

Prepared by:
Oregon Partnership for
Disaster Resilience
1209 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403

Month Year
Special Thanks & Acknowledgements
This Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan was updated through a regional
partnership funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Pre-
Disaster Mitigation Competitive Grant Program. The Mid-Willamette
Valley Region grant was awarded to support the development of natural
hazard mitigation plans for communities throughout the region. Benton
County’s planning process utilized a four-phased planning process, plan
templates and plan development support provided by the Oregon
Partnership for Disaster Resilience at the University of Oregon.
Regional partners included:
• Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience at the University of
Oregon’s Community Service Center
• Oregon Emergency Management
• FEMA Region X
Project Steering Committee:
The following representatives served as steering committee members for
Benton County’s natural hazards mitigation plan update process:
Steering Committee Members:
• Carol De Young, Alsea Emergency Preparedness
• Chris Bentley, Benton County Planning Department
• Darrel Tedisch, City of Albany
• Debbie Guerra, Pacific Power
• Jim Minard, City of Monroe
• John Plechinger, Pacific Power
• Keith Ayers, Oregon Department of Transportation Region 2
Emergency Operations
• Peggy Pierson, Benton County Emergency Management
• Rick Smith, Monroe Rural Fire Protection District
• Robert Doran, Oregon Department of Transportation District A
• Tim O’Neill, Alsea Emergency Preparedness
Project Managers:
Mary King, Benton County Emergency Management
Megan Findley, Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience
Community Service Center Staff:
Andre LeDuc, Executive Director, Oregon Partnership for Disaster
Resilience
Josh Bruce, Assistant Director, Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience
Megan Findley, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program Manager, Oregon
Partnership for Disaster Resilience
Gregoor Passchier, Project Coordinator, Oregon Partnership for Disaster
Resilience
Gregory Butler, Graduate Teaching Fellow, Community Planning
Workshop
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Maps:
Benton County’s GIS Department developed maps for the Natural Hazards
Mitigation Plan. The contributions from this department were essential in
illustrating the extent and potential losses associated with the natural
hazards affecting Benton County.
Doug Sackinger, GIS Coordinator, Benton County GIS Department
Table of Contents

Volume I: Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
Executive Summary......................................................................................... i
Section 1: Introduction................................................................................. 1-1
Section 2: Community Overview................................................................2-1
Section 3: Mission, Goals, and Action Items............................................. 3-1
Section 4: Plan Implementation and Maintenance.................................. 4-1
Volume II: Hazard Chapters
Earthquake..................................................................................................EQ-1
Flood.............................................................................................................FL-1
Landslide..................................................................................................... LS-1
Winter Storm..............................................................................................WS-1
Wind Storm.................................................................................................WI-1
Wildfire.......................................................................................................WF-1
Drought.......................................................................................................DR-1
Volcano........................................................................................................ VE-1
Volume III: City/Special District Addendums
TBD..................................................................................................................... 1
Volume IV: Resource Appendices
Appendix A: Action Item Forms............................................................... A-1
Appendix B: Planning and Public Process................................................B-1
Appendix C: Economic Analysis of
Natural Hazard Mitigation Projects................................... C-1
Appendix D: Benton County Hazard Analysis........................................D-1
Executive Summary

Benton County developed this Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan in an effort
to reduce future loss of life and damage to property resulting from natural
hazards. It is impossible to predict exactly when natural hazards will
occur, or the extent to which they will affect the community. However,
with careful planning and collaboration among public agencies, private
sector organizations, and citizens within the community, it is possible to
minimize the losses that can result from natural hazards.
Natural hazard mitigation is defined as a method of permanently reducing
or alleviating the losses of life, property, and injuries resulting from natural
hazards through long and short-term strategies. Example strategies
include policy changes, such as updated ordinances, projects, such as
seismic retrofits to critical facilities; and education and outreach to targeted
audiences, such as Spanish speaking residents or the elderly. Natural
hazard mitigation is the responsibility of individuals, private businesses,
industries, state and local governments, and the federal government.
This natural hazard mitigation plan is intended to assist Benton County
and the cities of Adair Village, Albany, Corvallis, Monroe, and Philomath
in reducing risk from natural hazards by identifying resources,
information, and strategies for risk reduction. It will also help guide and
coordinate mitigation activities throughout the county. Figure i.1 below is
utilized throughout the plan to illustrate the concept of risk reduction.
Figure i.1 Understanding Risk

Benton County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Month Year Page i
A natural hazard mitigation plan can assist jurisdictions in understanding
risks. By identifying and understanding the relationship between natural
hazards, vulnerable systems, and existing capacities, communities can
become better equipped to identify and implement actions that reduce
overall risk to natural hazards.
Planning Team
In the fall of 2006, the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (the
Partnership / OPDR) at the University of Oregon’s Community Service
Center developed a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Planning Grant proposal in
partnership with Oregon Emergency Management (OEM), cities in Coos
and Curry Counties, and communities in the Mid-Willamette Valley.
FEMA awarded the grant in the summer of 2007, and Benton County’s
plan update process began in January, 2010. Benton County Emergency
Management facilitated the plan update process, and OPDR documented
efforts.
Benton County’s Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is
the result of a collaborative effort between the county, cities, special
districts, citizens, public agencies, non-profit organizations, the private
sector and regional organizations. A project steering committee guided the
plan development process. The steering committee was comprised of the
following representatives.
Convener:
• Mary King, Benton County Emergency Management
Steering Committee Members:
• Carol De Young, Alsea Emergency Preparedness
• Chris Bentley, Benton County Planning Department
• Darrel Tedisch, City of Albany
• Debbie Guerra, Pacific Power
• Jim Minard, City of Monroe
• John Plechinger, Pacific Power
• Keith Ayers, Oregon Department of Transportation Region 2
Emergency Operations
• Peggy Pierson, Benton County Emergency Management
• Rick Smith, Monroe Rural Fire Protection District
• Robert Doran, Oregon Department of Transportation District A
• Tim O’Neill, Alsea Emergency Preparedness
Public participation played a key role in the development of plan content.
At the start of Benton County’s plan update process, the county distributed
an online survey to a select group of stakeholders in each community. The
survey sought to better understand public perceptions about natural
hazards mitigation planning and project implementation, as well as the
extent to which organizations are working to achieve increased resilience
to natural hazards.
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Additionally, Benton County held a public workshop in order to gain
locals’ perspective on the county’s vulnerabilities to natural hazards. The
workshop was designed and facilitated in partnership with the University
of Oregon’s Community Planning Workshop (CPW).
Finally, Benton County posted a final draft of the Natural Hazards
Mitigation Plan on the county’s website for public review. Before
submitting the final updated plan to FEMA for review, residents were
asked to review and comment on the plan.
Benton County’s Board of Commissioners adopted Benton County’s
updated Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan on [insert date]. The final
adopted and approved plan is posted on the University of Oregon
Libraries’ Scholar’s Bank Digital Archive.
Plan Mission
The mission of Benton County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is to
create a disaster resilient and sustainable Benton County.
Plan Goals
The plan goals describe the overall direction that the participating
jurisdiction’s agencies, organizations, and citizens can take toward
mitigating risk from natural hazards.
Goal 1: Reduce the Threat to Life Safety
Objectives:
• Enhance life safety by minimizing the potential for deaths and
injuries in future disaster events.
• Improve community warning and notification methods.
• Evaluate jurisdictional guidelines, codes, policies, and permitting
processes to address hazard mitigation.
Goal 2: Protect Critical Facilities and Enhance Emergency and
Essential Services
Objectives:
• Implement activities or projects to protect critical facilities and
infrastructure.
• Seek opportunities to enhance, protect, and integrate emergency
and essential services.
• Strengthen emergency operations plans and procedures by
increasing collaboration and coordination among public agencies,
non-profit organizations, business, and industry.
Goal 3: Reduce the Threat to Property
Objectives:
• Seek opportunities to protect, enhance and integrate emergency
and essential services with land use planning and natural
resource management.
Benton County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Month Year Page iii
• Strengthen emergency operations plans and procedures by
increasing collaboration and coordination among public agencies,
non-profit organizations, business, industry and the citizens of
Benton County.
• Preserve and rehabilitate natural systems to serve as natural
hazard mitigation functions (i.e., floodplains, watersheds, and
urban interfaces).
Goal 4: Create a Disaster Resistant and Disaster-Resilient
Economy
Objectives:
• Develop and implement activities to protect economic well-being
and vitality while reducing economic hardship in post disaster
situations.
• Reduce insurance losses and repetitive claims for chronic hazard
events.
• Work with state and federal partners to reduce short-term and
long-term recovery and reconstruction costs.
• Work with local organizations, such as Benton Emergency
Planning Association (BEPA).
• Expedite pre-disaster and post-disaster grants and program
funding.
Goal 5: Increase Public Awareness, Education, Outreach, and
Partnerships
Objectives:
• Coordinate and collaborate, where possible, risk reduction
outreach efforts with the Oregon Partnership for Disaster
Resilience and other public and private organizations.
• Develop and implement risk reduction education programs to
increase awareness among citizens, local, county, and regional
agencies, non-profit organizations, business, and industry.
• Promote insurance coverage for catastrophic hazards.
• Strengthen communication and coordinate participation in and
between public agencies, citizens, nonprofit organizations,
business, and industry.
• Develop relationships for planning and mitigation activities that
are inclusive of multiple areas (i.e., communication and
environment and transportation).
Mitigation Action Items
Action items are listed within an action matrix (located at the end of this
summary), and are organized by hazard. Coordinating organizations and
action-specific timelines are addressed within the matrix. Additionally, the
matrix documents how each action addresses one or more of the plan’s
goals. Action items were developed as a result of steering committee
discussions, data collection, research, and public participation processes.
Page iv Month Year Benton County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
Plan Implementation
Section 4, Plan Implementation and Maintenance details the formal
process that will ensure that the Benton County Natural Hazards
Mitigation Plan remains an active and relevant document. The plan
implementation and maintenance process includes a schedule for
monitoring and evaluating the plan annually, as well as producing an
updated plan every five years. Additionally, Section 4 describes how
the county will integrate public participation throughout the plan
maintenance and implementation process.
The Benton County Emergency Manager was designated as the plan’s
convener and will take the lead in implementing, maintaining and
updating the plan. Additionally, the plan’s steering committee will
support Benton County’s Emergency Manager in plan implementation,
maintenance, and plan update processes.
Plan Adoption
Benton County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan will be updated every
five years in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. At the
completion of future plan update processes, the Benton County Emergency
Manager will be responsible for submitting the plan to the State Hazard
Mitigation Officer at Oregon Emergency Management. Oregon Emergency
Management will then submit the plan to the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA – Region X) for review. This review will
address the federal criteria outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations,
Title 44, Emergency Management and Assistance, Part 201 – Mitigation
Planning. With pre-approval from FEMA, the county will adopt the plan
via resolution. FEMA will then formally approve the county’s mitigation
plan, which means that Benton County will continue to be eligible to apply
for funding from the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program, the Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program, and the Flood Mitigation Assistance program.
The accomplishment of Benton County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
goals and actions depends upon active engagement from Benton County’s
steering committee, and adequate support from appropriate stakeholders.
Thorough familiarity with this plan will result in the efficient and effective
implementation of mitigation activities, and ultimately, a reduction in the
community’s risks to natural hazard events.

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