All-Hazards Mitigation Plan

What is the All-Hazards Mitigation Plan?

The McDonough County Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan evaluates
damage to life and property from hazards in the County and identifies projects and
activities that can reduce these damages. The Plan is considered to be multi-jurisdictional
because it includes municipalities, townships and other jurisdictions (fire protection districts,
colleges, schools, hospitals, etc.) who want to participate.

Frequently Asked Questions
American Environmental Corp

The Timeline

The All-Hazards Mitigation Plan process is composed of several important tasks.  The plan takes about 16 months from start to finish, with community involvement every step of the way.

  • Prepare Grant Application: In this stage, the contractors (AEC) prepare a grant for the County, which includes the task of finding local funds and in-kind donations from local resources.
  • Re-organize Committee: The County forms a large committee that represents the community as a whole, with participants from different areas including agriculture, education, healthcare, and any other groups who have a stake in disaster preparedness. The goal is to have a diverse group that will provide unique perspectives to the planning process, making the plan more thorough.  The committee volunteers will meet four times to discuss community needs, concerns, and possible solutions as they relate to the variety of hazards that impact McDonough County.
  • Public Involvement: The four planning meetings culminate into a public forum, where anyone from the community is able to come and hear about the planning process and bring their ideas to the table. Those who were not able to participate on the committee can still attend this portion and provide valuable feedback.
  • Coordination: AEC will coordinate with State and Regional agencies, such as IDOT and IEMA, on McDonough County’s behalf to collect data needed for an accurate assessment. State information combined with committee efforts at the local level will provide the most accurate picture of what McDonough County will need to address with the All-Hazards Mitigation Plan.
  • Risk Assessment and GIS: AEC will take all of the gathered information and conduct a risk assessment for the County. All potential hazards that could impact McDonough County will be identified. Data from past disasters will be used to create a snapshot of what is the most pressing hazard to address with the plan and what is most likely to occur.  With the help of our local WIU GIS experts, maps will be created to reflect flood plains, tornado pathways and any other visual data.
  • Vulnerability Assessment: Vulnerability Assessment is estimating the potential damage and loss from disasters that target McDonough County. This includes identifying important infrastructure that needs to be protected by the All-Hazards Plan and estimating costs if the infrastructure was damaged.
  • Mitigation Strategy: Lastly, once all crucial information and assessments are gathered, a plan will be written to improve McDonough County’s disaster preparedness. Goals will be developed and prioritized to reflect the most pressing needs of the County and will be paired with actions that can be taken with community resources and grant funds.  Cost/Benefit analyses will be conducted to determine the best use of funds and the most beneficial projects.  Committee and public comments will help refine this plan until it becomes a final draft ready for approval.
Contact Form
McDonough County Citizen Questionnaire
McDonough County Natural Hazard Events Questionnaire

To join the Planning Committee, please fill out this contact information form.

Risk Priority Index

A citizen questionnaire for gathering information and gauging public perception about the natural hazards that impact the County.

A questionnaire about natural hazards and weather events within McDonough County.

New Mitigation Project Form

What mitigation actions could be identified in our updated plan?

Mitigation Actions

All-Hazards

  • Develop/update back-up power generation capabilities at critical facilities
  • Provide public education and outreach on disaster preparedness
  • Maintain all-hazard outdoor warning siren system
  • Continue fire code, building code, zoning, and floodplain management enforcement activities.

Severe Storms

  • Public education campaign on having multiple means to receive alerts and warnings
  • Update plans for timely debris clearance following severe storms
  • Maintain National Weather Service StormReady certification

Tornadoes

  • Promote Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program
  • Identify temporary storm-safe locations.

Flooding

  • Improve stormwater management system
  • Identify and study poor draining areas to control flooding.
  • Repair or replace ditching and culverts to control flooding
  • Continue to identify and study riverbank stabilization opportunities.
  • Guide property owners on acquisition/floodproofing of repetitive loss properties
  • Encourage residents to purchase flood insurance.

Utility Failure

  • Tree trimming along utility lines

Hazardous Materials Accidents

  • Develop a wellhead protection plan
  • Continue annual exercises with LEPC.
  • Maintain LEPC and the Tier II reporting
  • Update commodity flow study
  • Public outreach/education regarding disposal of household hazardous materials

Winter Storms

  • Provide public education and outreach on winter weather safety

Invasive Species

  • Implement an education program on hazard identification, behavior, and quarantine procedures
  • Public education on the importance of not importing/exporting firewood
  • Work with agriculture producers to monitor and minimize nutrient runoff to prevent harmful algal blooms.

Terrorism

  • Encourage critical infrastructure to implement protective measures.
  • Coordinate with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of large public gatherings
  • Provide active aggressor guidance

Extreme Temperatures

  • Provide guidance and resources for vulnerable populations during extreme temperature events
  • Provide guidance and resources on utility assistance programs

Drought

  • Encourage property owners to install water reduction equipment.
  • Develop water storage plans, water use ordinances, contingency plans, and water delivery system plans
  • Encourage farmers to purchase crop insurance.

Wildfire

  • Promote public education and outreach on smoking hazards and the risk of recreational fires
  • Provide public education on extreme fire danger and red flag warnings

Earthquake

  • Use community outreach activities to foster awareness of earthquake mitigation activities.
  • Work with the insurance industry to increase awareness of the importance of earthquake insurance.