Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

A Regional Overview All-Hazard Mitigation Plan 87
Palmer greater than or equal to -1.0: Phase 1 (Advisory Phase)
Palmer -1.0 to -2.0: Phase 2 (Drought Alert)
Palmer -2.0 to -4.0: Phase 3 (Conservation Phase)
Palmer less than or equal to -4.0: Phase 4 (Possible Local Rationing Phase)
Once the data demonstrates that there is a Phase 2 drought condition, the Water
Resources Program Director declares drought alert for any region of the state and the
Director of the Department of Natural Resources may activate and chair the Drought
Assessment Committee (DAC). The DAC then activates the Impact Task Forces that include
the following Departments:
Agriculture
Natural Resources and Environmental Recreation
Water Supplies and Wastewater
Health
Social
Economic
Post Drought Evaluation
The state drought plan still has unmet needs at federal, state, local levels. These needs
include changes from customer or "provider" perspective: 1) lack of U.S. coordinated
response to meld with state response plan, 2) need for state climatologist to be available
for consultation, and 3) lack of a permanent source or mechanism of drought response
and mitigation funds at the federal or state level.
There are program limitations to the state drought plan: 1) early stages are voluntary
conservation measures, 2) state mitigation grant or loan funds are limited and may be
available only through mechanisms not well coordinated with emergency response plan.
Map of Hazards
Figure J48 below depicts the percent of time the various regions spent in severe and
extreme drought conditions from 1895 to 1995. This is defined as the percentage of time
when the Palmer Drought Severity Index was less than or equal to –3.0. Refer to Figure J45
(located in the back of the Technical Appendix) for another map of the hazard area.