Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

A Regional Overview All-Hazard Mitigation Plan 89
Statement of Next Disaster’s Likely Adverse Impact on Community
The next drought will possibly have a detrimental impact on the community in terms of
agricultural (lawns), economic (social) and environmental based upon the past historic
drought events.
Without Mitigation Measures
Life Negligible
Property Limited
Emotional Limited
Financial Critical
Comments None
With Mitigation Measures
Life Negligible
Property (crop damage) Negligible
Emotional Limited
Financial Limited
Comments Education of city residents on watering restrictions of
lawns
Recommendation
Education of city residents on watering restrictions of lawns.
Heat Wave Hazard Profile
Description
Heat wave is defined as a prolonged period of excessive heat and humidity: more than 48
hours of high heat (90 o F or higher) and high humidity (80 percent relative humidity or
higher) are expected. The National Weather Service steps up its procedures to alert the
public during these periods of excessive heat and humidity. Based on the NCDC 1980
report, heat and drought events result in the highest damage (in the range of $120 billion
from 1980 to 1999 based on 46 weather related events) when compared to other natural
weather hazards.
Although heat waves are not often taken as seriously as other forms of severe weather, the
mortality from these weather events in the U. S. from 1979 to 1998 is greater than the
number of lives claimed by lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes
combined (National Center for Environmental Health). Even during a normal year without
a catastrophic heat wave, the National Weather Service claims that an average of about
175 people succumb to summer heat. This number does not include the number of excess
deaths of people already in poor health, whose deaths may have been advanced by
exposure to extreme heat. Despite the presence of improving technology (e.g., air