Hazard Mitigation Plan Analysis

The Hazard Mitigation Plan for Douglas County, Minnesota lists tornadoes as being the highest risk for a disaster in the county (Douglas County, 2015). According to the Tornado History Project, the largest tornado in the Douglas County area was an F4 in 2010 that caused 5 injuries and 1 death (n.d.). Tornadoes have the potential to create widespread damage and destruction as well as physical injuries and death as a result of high winds, flying debris, and compromised infrastructure. The Fujita Damage Scale rates tornadoes based upon the damage that is caused and they range from a F0 which causes light damage such as branches and damaged signs to a F5 which can destroy large buildings (Fujita, n.d.). In 2015, Douglas County had seven tornados, three were classified as F1 and four were classified as F0 (Tornado Information, n.d.). The
The recovery plan will address the short term and long-term measures necessary for recovery from a tornado and will discuss the potential challenges that the community will face during the recovery period. The Douglas County Mitigation plan focuses on three primary strategies and the resulting activities that can reduce death, injury, and property damage as a result of tornadoes (Douglas County, 2015). Property protection measures taken by Douglas County include the establishment of building codes