Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Annexing on to the Multnomah County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Project Description 

PEN 1, PEN 2, MCDD, SDIC, and the UFSWQD are working to annex into the FEMA-approved Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) created by Multnomah County, City of Gresham, City of Troutdale, City of Fairview, and City of Wood Village. Originally authorized in 2017, this plan is currently being renewed with the intention of spanning from the fall of 2022 to the fall of 2027. The plan evaluates natural hazards for each jurisdiction to better understand the risks that communities and public assets face. By knowing the risks, each jurisdiction can then identify and prioritize short-term mitigation priorities to reduce the risk of natural hazards. By investing in reducing risks before a natural disaster, the Districts will reduce the expense and downtime needed for recovery.

To view the County’s current NHMP: Natural Hazard Mitigation Planning | Multnomah County (multco.us)

Project Purpose

1. Obtain a better understanding of the risk of natural hazards to District operations and communicate those risks to the public.
2. Identify and prioritize short-term mitigation actions to high-risk hazards.
3. Gain public input regarding considerations for District priorities.
4. Increase access to federal funding for local mitigation actions.

Project Timeline (updated November 2021)

• February 2021: Project Steering Committee Kick-Off
• March-June 2021: Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment
• July-December 2021: Mapping Development & Plan Drafting
• Sept-October 2021: Public Input Survey
• November 2021-November 2022: Mitigation Action Development and Plan Drafting
• December 2022: Board Review of Draft Chapter and Actions
• January-February 2023: Public Comment on Draft Plan
• February 2023: Incorporate Input and Finalize Plan
• March 2023: Plan submitted to Oregon Emergency Management (OEM)
• March 2023 – Summer 2023: Plan reviewed by OEM and FEMA
• Fall 2023: Plan Approval and Adoption

Benefit

By joining the plan, the Districts seek to better identify their risks, prioritize their response, and gain easier access to federal grant funding to reduce their risks.

Public Input

Your voice matters, and your input will help us make better informed decisions. As part of the early stages of the development of the NHMP, the Districts sought input from residents, property owners, and business owners about the natural hazards we face in the Districts and potential mitigation action ideas. The survey closed on October 31, 2021. Thank you to all those who responded! Your input will help shape future mitigation priorities.

During 2022, Drainage District staff developed a list of strategies that reflect capital improvement priorities and District Drainage Master Plans, and incorporated priorities from Fall 2021 community surveys that emphasized levee improvements, monitoring and maintenance, outreach, and education.

Public Review Opportunity – January 10th – February 10th, 2023

As of January 10th 2023, a draft of the plan has been released for public review, and your input continues to be an important part of this process.  Feedback that is provided will be used to improve the final plan and guide future updates. The deadline to provide comments is Friday, February 10, 2023. To access the draft plan and the comment form, or to learn more about the purpose and background of the plan, please visit the Multnomah County website: https://www.multco.us/em/natural-hazards-mitigation-planning.