Wyandotte County, Kansas
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Summary
Wyandotte County is developing a comprehensive Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan to better address potential
natural, man-made, and technological hazards before they occur and to obtain eligibility for mitigation funding
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
What Is a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan?
Hazard mitigation is sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life and property
from natural, man-made, and technological hazards.
Mitigation planning is a process for communities to:
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Identify the natural, man-made, and technological hazards to which they are at risk,
Assess the potential impacts of those hazards,
Develop goals and strategies to reduce impacts, and
Prioritize and implement those mitigation strategies.
This is a multi-jurisdictional planning process and is a cooperative effort between Wyandotte County, the
Board of Public Utilities, the incorporated cities, school districts, hospitals, water and drainage districts, private
non-profits, and other special districts.
The plan addresses a comprehensive list of natural, man-made, and technological hazards – ranging from
flooding to hazardous materials incidents, tornadoes, and severe winter weather – and assesses the likely
impacts of these hazards to communities in Wyandotte County.
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Goals
The Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, which represents the participating jurisdictions and other
stakeholders, has developed the following goals for the plan:
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Create a disaster resistant community by involving individuals in the private and public sector to
participate in hazard mitigation planning and training activities geared toward reducing the impact of
disasters in Wyandotte County.
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Minimize the vulnerability of the people, property, environment, and economy of Wyandotte County to
the impacts of all hazards (natural, man-made, and technological).
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Strengthen bi-directional communication among agencies and between agencies and the public.
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Improve public understanding of hazards and risk by providing public awareness, preparedness, and
mitigation information through various channels of communication.
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Protect critical facilities and infrastructure from all hazards (natural, man-made, and technological).
Wyandotte County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan
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Actions
The Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee is in the process of identifying and prioritizing mitigation actions
to reduce the impacts of future disasters on people and property in the County. Here are examples of some of
the types of actions they are considering:
1. Prevention: Administrative or regulatory actions/processes that influence the way land and buildings are
developed and built.
 Planning and zoning
 Open space preservation
 Building codes
 Stormwater management regulations
 Capital improvement programs
2. Property Protection: Actions that involve the modification of existing buildings or structures to protect them
from a hazard or removal from the hazard area.
 Acquisition, Relocation
 Structural retrofits
 Elevation
 Storm shutters
 Floodproofing
 Firewise construction
3. Public Education and Awareness: Actions to inform and educate citizens, elected officials, and property
owners about the hazards and potential ways to mitigation them.
 Outreach projects (mailings, media, web)
 Hazard maps
 Real estate disclosure
 Education programs (children and adults)
4 Natural Resource Protection: Actions that, in addition to minimizing hazard losses, also preserve or restore
the functions of natural systems.
 Erosion and sediment control
 Forest and vegetation management
 Stream corridor restoration
 Wetland restoration and preservation
 Watershed management
5. Structural Projects: Actions that involve the construction of structures to reduce the impact of hazards.
 Detention/retention structures
 Floodwalls
 Sediment basins/Low-head weirs
 Safe rooms
 Culvert resizing/replacement
6. Emergency Services: Actions that protect people and property during and immediately after a disaster or
hazard event
 Protection of critical facilities
 Warning systems
 Protection of lifeline utilities
 Emergency response service
Please Give Us Your Input
We would like your input on this important plan, which must be approved by each participating jurisdiction, the State
of Kansas, and FEMA. A questionnaire asking about your priorities for reducing risk to natural hazards in Wyandotte
County is available on the County’s website at: http://www.wycokck.org/mitigation.
The complete draft plan will be available online at the above website and at several community locations in the
County later this year for public review and comment. Information on accessing and commenting on the plan will be
posted in local newspapers and the County’s website in the future.
Contact Information: If you have questions about the hazard mitigation plan, contact C.L. Webb, Jr., Assistant
Director of Wyandotte County Emergency Management at 913-573-6300 or via e-mail at clwebb@wycokck.org.
Wyandotte County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan
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