2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

highlights potential funding sources and identifies city departments responsible for implementation. Lastly, the plan outlines how to keep the public involved, and steps taken to ensure hazard mitigation remains a priority. Hazard mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. Mitigation encourages long term reduction of vulnerability to natural and human caused hazards. The goal of mitigation is to save lives and reduce property damage. However, it has been demonstrated that hazard mitigation is most effective when based on an inclusive, comprehensive, long-term plan that is developed before a disaster. HAZARD MITIGATION ENABLING LAWS AND REGULATIONS The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides assistance to local governments for disaster response and recovery through the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). The basis for authority to create a natural hazard mitigation plan lies in Section 322 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. 5165. This act was enacted under Section 104 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000), P.L. 106- 390. Section 104 is the legal basis for FEMA’s Interim Final Rule for 44 CFR Parts 201 and 206, published in the Federal Register on February 26, 2002. The Stafford Act aims at assisting communities that are affected by disasters. The Act was amended in 2000 to include The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. This amendment requires local governments to have adopted an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan to qualify for mitigation project funding. The purpose of this change is to encourage cities and counties to identify prevalent hazards and to determine appropriate mitigation strategies to protect property and save lives. IDENTIFICATION OF NATURAL HAZARDS This section is intended to provide a brief identification of those hazards that the Clay County Planning Team, consisting of representatives from Spencer, believe have either already affected or potentially will affect the city in the future. The descriptions of hazards presented on the following pages are derived and referenced from the Statewide Hazard Mitigation Plan for Iowa. Of the 16 identified natural hazards occurring in the State of Iowa, the local planning committee has concluded that 11 of these hazards have either already affected or could affect Spencer. ▪ Drought - Droughts are defined as periods of prolonged lack of precipitation for weeks at a time producing severe dry conditions. The highest occurrence of drought conditions in Iowa are associated with agricultural and meteorological drought because of low soil moisture or lack of precipitation. ▪ Extreme Heat - Conditions for extreme heat are defined by summertime weather when temperatures (including heat index) are more than 100° Fahrenheit or at least three (3) successive days of higher than 90° F or warmer. ▪ Flash Flood - A flash flood is an event that occurs with little or no warning where water levels rise at an extremely fast rate. Flash flooding results from intense rainfall over a brief period, rapid

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NW Iowa Planning & Development