On an every five year cycle, Otter Tail County must update its countywide "Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan."
In response to that effort, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it has approved the plan, making the county, cities and other organizations eligible to leverage state and federal resources and expertise to implement actions and projects that will eliminate or greatly reduce the impact of natural hazards on our communities.
Patrick Waletzko, OTC emergency management director, said it was a good renewal of what the county would do in the event of multiple hazards that the area is susceptible to.
“It’s been some time since the county’s plan has been updated. This is kind of a renewed effort, an intentional refresh with a re-focus on prevention,” said Waletzko.
Waletzko mentions the county and every city have identified a series of efforts they want to pursue through 2027, ranging from education and awareness programs to local plans and regulations, natural systems protection, with structure and infrastructure projects. The construction of community storm shelters/safe rooms and placement of additional outdoor warning sirens and generators at critical community facilities are included on many communities' lists, as are projects designed to help stabilize soils/shoreland and reduce localized flooding and erosion.
All OTC cities were included in the development of the plan and incorporated the concerns and needs of townships, school districts, other stakeholders, as well as comments received by the public.
“The plan looks at multiple hazards. As part of the process we’ve been conducting a full hazard vulnerability analysis. We look at all natural hazards that exist throughout the county,” said Waletzko.
Over the next 5 years, OTC’s emergency management program will work with county and city officials and stakeholders to implement the plan, bring awareness to hazard mitigation opportunities and help navigate funding and other processes to ensure projects can be realized and measurable reductions in natural hazard impacts can be achieved.
Waletzko says that to implement the plan FEMA provides grant funding for the county.
“We worked with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and a division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management through a grant opportunity they made available to us. Through a contract with University of Minnesota - Duluth to serve as project manager. That’s on the planning side. Looking at implementing the plan, the bulk of the plan and the purpose of the plan was to identify specific action and projects that over the course of the next five years we want to look at doing, in order to prevent or greatly reduce the impact of the hazards. By completing this plan, there are a series of FEMA grants that are now available to us. We’re eligible to apply for those grants because we have this plan in place."
OTC is vulnerable to a variety of potential natural disasters which threaten the loss of life and property in the county. The plan addresses how the county and communities intend to continue to mitigate against hazards such as tornadoes, flooding, wildland fires, blizzards, straight-line winds, ice storms and drought which have the potential for inflicting vast economic loss and personal hardship.
Details on the mitigation plan, including profiles on OTC’s natural hazards and a complete list of identified mitigation actions can be found by contacting the emergency management program or by visiting a dedicated page on the county website at ottertailcountymn.us/mitigation.
