Hell froze over in Oconto County this winter.
Well—maybe not, but saying it was a cold would be a vast understatement.
Record snowfall and frigid temperatures challenged county residents, utilities and road crews for months. According to the National Weather Service office in Green Bay, this has been the coldest winter on record for Oconto, with temperatures averaging just under 9 degrees.
Extreme cold moved to the forefront on the natural disaster list as the Oconto County Multi-Hazards Mitigation Plan Steering Committee met rcently to update a five-year disaster plan.
The current plan has been in place since 2009, and the committee’s focus is evaluating Oconto County’s potential exposure to natural hazards, to identify strategies to lessen the risk of harm and damage to people and property.
Angela Pierce, natural resources planner from the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission, is assisting with the process, which began April 1.
Pierce provided data regarding hazard events in the county from 2000 through 2013, along with the committee’s rankings of severity of hazards in 2009. For example, in 2009 winter storms were ranked as the No. 1 hazard in the county.
The committee last week decided winter storms should remain the top-ranked hazard, with tornadoes and strong winds at No. 2. Extreme cold moved from No. 10, tied with hail, to No. 3.
Tornadoes had the highest cost in property damage at $10.6 million, with hail damage being the only other cost figure listed, at $3 million. The figures do not include private losses.
Tornadoes caused two injuries over the same time period, and one death was attributed to extreme cold.
Having the plan in place allows the county to qualify for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to put actions in place to minimize damage that can occur from disasters.
In 2009 the county received a $66,916 FEMA grant to create the plan, and Oconto County provided an additional $22,312 for committee time and grant-related work.
For the update, the county received $38,166 from FEMA and $6,361 from Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM). The county must match the $6,361.
The committee plans to complete the process within 18 months to comply with federal requirements of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. It will meet monthly to review and assess risks of hazards in the county. Mitigation strategies will be restructured if necessary, with the goal of submitting a draft plan to FEMA and WEM in March 2015.
The plan will cover the cities of Oconto, Oconto Falls and Gillett and the villages of Lena and Suring, as long as those communities participate in reviewing materials and providing feedback. Pierce said incorporated communities are required to provide documentation they were involved in the process and reviewed the materials before they can be covered under the plan adopted by the county.
“We hope that all communities will be equally involved. All have equal opportunity to provide input, and we encourage all to do so,” Pierce said.
Unincorporated communities will be covered when the County Board adopts the plan.
As the committee began reviewing the plan, they discussed the need for back-up generators throughout the county. There are two generators in the courthouse and one at the Chase Town Hall. Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann said the committee should identify areas where generators are installed and where they are needed to ensure the county has adequate sites for emergency shelters.
In May the committee will perform a risk assessment by evaluating the frequency and probability of future hazard events and the areas that might be affected. Future meetings will enable the group to detail strategies, costs and implementation time lines, before drafting a preliminary update.
The draft will be available for public review and comment before it is adopted by the county and submitted to FEMA for consideration.
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