Lower Willamette - Tualatin Watersheds
City of Damascus, Oregon
August 16, 2012; 9:00am Pacific Time
City of Damascus
Erika Palmer – Senior Planner
Bob Short – Associate Planner
FEMA Region X
Brett Holt – Mitigation Planner
Oregon DLCD
Steve Lucker – State Risk MAP Coordinator
STARR (FEMA Contractor)
Josha Crowley – Region X Service Center Lead
Becca Croft – Interviewer
Shannon Eagan – GIS Specialist
Jennifer Anticknap – Recorder
The following information was collected during the Interview. Unless otherwise noted, all comments are from City of Damascus representatives.
I.
Contacts

The contact list was updated with email addresses and phone numbers.

All individuals who would be appropriate to provide project correspondence to were confirmed.
STARR (S. Eagan) reviewed the GIS data that has been collected for the city of Damascus and explained the types of additional data that could be beneficial to the project: parks, environmentally sensitive areas, critical habitats, building footprints, parcels, topographic data (LiDAR, etc).
II.
III.
Topography, LiDAR and GIS

Bob Short is the GIS contact for the City of Damascus.

The City of Damascus works with Clackamas County for GIS services and data. Mr. Short coordinates GIS services and data with the County.

There are numerous GIS layers that they are willing to share, including and not limited to landslides, landslide risk, steep slopes, fault lines, streams, wetlands, sensitive habitats, shelter locations, critical facilities (such as gas lines), etc.
Planning

The Hazard Mitigation Plan is currently the only plan adopted by the City and is in the process of being updated. It is expected the updated plan will to City Council for approval and be approved sometime in the next month and a half.

The HMP identifies top mitigation priorities (flooding, landslides, and wildfire) and ranks mitigation priorities.

The City has also developed a natural hazards inventory that they are will to share.

Risk MAP Discovery Interview – Lower Willamette - Tualatin Watersheds
City of Damascus – August 16, 2012
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
Ms. Palmer will check with the Emergency Manager to determine if there is an evacuation, response and recovery plan.

To date, the City has not participated in grant projects.

There is an ongoing effort right now with the Planning Commission to develop building requirements and codes.
IV.
Earthquakes

The earthquake risk in Damascus is low.

There is no historic earthquake damage.
V.
Wildfires

Wildfire hazard is dependent on weather and not seen as a major risk.

There a no critical facilities or structures that would considered at risk.

As a part of the City’s Hazards Inventory, Areas of Wildfire Concern have been mapped and the City is willing to share that information as noted in Section II.
VI.
Landslides

There are two butte areas within the city that are at risk for landslides (noted in the
Areas of Concern layer).

Roads have been impacted in the areas identified in past and mitigation projects have been identified for the updated Hazard Mitigation Plan currently underway.

The City uses DOGAMI’s landslide data. They also have an additional landslide hazards layer developed during their Natural Hazards Inventory that they would be will to share as noted in Section II.
VII.
Severe Storms

Wind storms were identified as a risk to the city of Damascus. The City has identified mitigation techniques for property owners to prevent wind damage.

Wind storms have caused power disruptions in the past. Power outages typically last an hour to an hour and half.

There has never been a need to open shelters as a result of a severe storm (or other hazard). The City of Damascus does exercises with Red Cross related to sheltering. The
City will provide a dataset showing the locations of the Red Cross shelters.

The City has passed an Urban Forestry ordinance to mitigate for Wind Throw. The ordinance prevents excessive cutting/clear cutting of trees to prevent damage from wind throw. The ordinance has been effective in preventing clear cutting.
VIII.
Flooding

Most of the flooding that affects residents occurs along the Clackamas River outside of the Lower Willamette watershed.

No areas of flooding concern were identified.

S. Lucker mentioned the 2009 overland flooding identified in Hazard Mitigation Plan.
IX.
Ms. Palmer responded that the flooding occurred further south and did not impact lands in the Lower Willamette watershed.
Levees

Risk MAP Discovery Interview – Lower Willamette - Tualatin Watersheds
City of Damascus – August 16, 2012
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X.

No levees were identified.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas

The City has an inventory of natural resources that they are in the process of updating and willing to share. Features in this dataset include streams, wetlands, sensitive habitat areas, identified steep slopes and landslide data.
1.
Communications and Outreach

Currently the City does not have a floodplain administer identified.

Currently the floodplain development permitting process is done through Clackamas
County.

The City anticipates a future need for floodplain management training.

The City takes a multi-tiered approach to communication and outreach. They use the city website, put information for residents in the city newsletter and do mailers with information and tips on what residents can do to protect their property from hazard or useful resources/websites for additional hazard information.

Two venues were identified where project status reports could be given. The Planning
Commission meets every Tuesday and City Council meets twice per month.
XI.
Other

The City of Damascus is a newly incorporated community in the state of Oregon. They incorporated in 2004. The City is transitioning and developing its own services, codes and plans. Currently a number of services, codes and plan are done through Clackamas
County.

Damascus is fairly rural. They have a fire station and a couple of schools--not much critical infrastructure they would consider at risk.

Most of the land in the city within this project area is open farm land and agricultural land, a number of properties have ponds on them. There are also upland areas/buttes
(noted in Areas of Concern layer).