Public Comment Sought for County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan

Goodhue County has completed an updated draft of its Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) and is
now seeking public feedback. Like all Minnesota counties, Goodhue County is vulnerable to a
variety of natural hazards such as tornadoes, windstorms, severe winter storms, flooding,
drought, and extreme temperatures, which can threaten the loss of life and property in the
county. Planning for natural disasters minimizes the impact of events that can cause vast
economic loss and personal hardship.

All county residents, as well as other interested agency or organizational stakeholders, are
strongly encouraged to review and offer feedback on the interactive website, PDF of the draft
plan, and proposed local mitigation actions. The review and comment period is open for a
period of 15 days through September 3, 2024. The public can access the plan using the
following links:

Goodhue County HMP website
(https://goodhue-county-hmp-umn.hub.arcgis.com/)

Mitigation Action Charts
(https://goodhue-county-hmp-umn.hub.arcgis.com/pages/mitigation-actions)

Public Comment Feedback Form
(https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/92f82cf5334b4ea687dc510a1c21d7df)

The Goodhue County HMP is a multi-jurisdictional plan that covers Goodhue County,
including the cities of Bellechester, Cannon Falls, Dennison, Goodhue, Kenyon, Lake City,
Pine Island, Red Wing, Wanamingo, and Zumbrota.

Update of the plan has been under the direction of Goodhue County Emergency
Management in cooperation with U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota Duluth and
representatives from county departments, city and township governments, school districts,
and other key stakeholders. Together, the planning team worked to identify cost-effective
and sustainable actions to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life or property
from natural hazards. Examples include infrastructure projects for areas that experience
repetitive flooding; construction of safe rooms in areas where residents and visitors are
vulnerable to tornadoes and severe storm events; burying powerlines that may fail due to
heavy snow, ice, or wind storms; ensuring timely emergency communication to the public
through warning sirens and mass notification systems; and conducting outreach to increase
public awareness of severe weather and personal preparedness.

Hazard mitigation planning helps Goodhue County and other jurisdictions protect their
residents. Working with local communities through the process helps identify vulnerabilities
and develop strategies to reduce or eliminate the effects of a potential hazard. In addition,
increasing public awareness of natural disasters and encouraging personal preparedness
helps to create a community that is resilient to disaster, and breaks the cycle of response and
recovery. Updating the plan further allows Goodhue County and its jurisdictions to be eligible
to apply for future FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant program funding for projects that
help to reduce or eliminate the impacts of future natural hazard events.

Community feedback is vital to the success of the plan. Goodhue County invites public review
and feedback of the draft plan prior to submitting it to the State of Minnesota and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review. Feedback may be provided via the
online comment forms or directly to Goodhue County Emergency Management.

Contact
Earl Merchlewitz
Goodhue County Deputy Emergency Management Director
Phone: 651-267-2639
Email: earl.merchlewitz@goodhuecountymn.gov