Whether it’s flooding or fires or tornadoes – any kind of natural disasters – Hays County cities are coming together to put forth their updates on the 2017 Hazard Mitigation plan.
The 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan, or HMP, has been approved for public comments through July 26.
Eleven incorporated cities in Hays County, and the county, have their own plans that provide overviews of natural hazards and how best to respond in order to minimize the loss of life and property. The plans for each incorporated city and the county can be found on the county website.
“Each jurisdiction has the opportunity to adopt the plan; this is done by an affirmative vote of the city council,” said Kay Allen, Dripping Springs Emergency Planning Coordinator. “Having done that, the obligation is to make a good faith effort to complete the action items specific to that jurisdiction; since the action items are tailored to the jurisdiction’s specific situation and needs, there is a strong motivation to follow through on completing them.”
“The October 2015 floods brought some issues to the forefront that had not been obvious before ... There is much more impervious cover in our area than in 2011 and that contributed to flooding in places that had never flooded before, such as the intersection of RR12 and HWY 290.” Kay Allen, Dripping Springs Emergency Planning Coordinator
The 2017 HMP update is the most recent to the county’s HMP since 2011. The HMP for Hays County was first initiated in 2003 in response to the Disaster Mitigation Act passed by Congress in 2000, which established a requirement that jurisdictions nationwide must develop hazard plans in the event of natural or man-made disasters.
Approved in 2006, the Hays HMP was designed to help the incorporated cities within the county prepare for the hazards the areas are most susceptible to.
“Past hazards greatly influence these plans,” said Kathy Roecker, Kyle’s Stormwater Management Plan organizer. “Looking at past hazards assists in planning and preparing for future hazards.”
For instance, flooding has been a consistent and troublesome issue in Hays County. Between 1965 and 2010, Hays County received seven major Presidential disaster declarations, of which five were floods.
“The October 2015 floods brought some issues to the forefront that had not been obvious before,” Allen said. “There is much more impervious cover in our area than in 2011 and that contributed to flooding in places that had never flooded before, such as the intersection of RR12 and HWY 290.”
Residents are also strongly urged by their cities’ leaders to participate in order to provide an effective plan. Comments about the plan can be submitted to [email protected] or through regular mail to: Grants Administration Department, Hays County Government Center, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, Suite 1204, San Marcos, Texas, 78666
“These plans are ‘living plans’,” said Roecker. “Therefore comments, input and recommendations are vital to the implementation and success of the plan.”
Who’s speaking up?
As of March 10, 2017 the number of responses from residents in each particular area regarding the HMP is as follows:
- Bear Creek: 28
- Buda: 242
- Dripping Springs: 36
- Hays: 19
- Kyle: 23
- Mountain City: 25
- Niederwald: 0
- San Marcos: 160
- Uhland: 13
- Wimberley: 10
- Woodcreek: 63
Click here to view the hazard mitigation plans.
