Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Background Pope County is a county in the state of Minnesota, with the seat being Russellville. The county is situated northwest of Arkansas halfway between the state

Risk and Vulnerability Assessment

Background

Pope County is a county in the state of Minnesota, with the seat being Russellville. The county is situated northwest of Arkansas halfway between the state capital and the cities of Fort Smith and Fayetteville. The geography of the state is diverse, with Ozark national forest from the northern part and Arkansas River valley in the southern part (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The county has a land area of 669.71 square miles and a population of 16.4 people per square miles per 2010. Population estimates, as per 2019, stand at 11,249 people, which translates to a percentage decrease of 2.3% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).

Hazards/ Risks

One of the primary disasters in Pope County is the risk of fires as a result of the vast forests covers with the probability of wildfires occurring is low, with a little damage probability, fires due to property have a high likelihood of happening with the damage level being high too (Pope County Emergency Management, n.d.). Due to the location of the county between Ozark National park and Arkansas River valley, there is a risk of flooding in the county through river flooding, which has a low probability of flooding and a medium level damage to the property in the county (Pope County Emergency Management, n.d.). Flooding from stormwater has a high probability of medium level damage due to the terrain of the surrounding areas. Other hazards include tornadoes, which have a medium level probability of occurring and high damage level. Thunderstorms also occur in the area, with severe winds having a high likelihood of occurring and a medium damage level (Pope County Emergency Management, n.d.). Severe hail can also happen with a medium probability of occurring and a medium damage level. On the other hand, severe lightning has a high chance of occurring with a low damage level.

Other natural disasters that may occur in the area include drought, extreme temperatures, winter storms, land subsidence, and earthquake, although the probability of an earthquake is low. Human-made disasters include failure of dams and levee, an outbreak of infectious diseases, contamination of groundwater, and accidents involving hazardous materials. In June of 2019, a state of emergency was declared to twelve counties in Arkansas, including Pope County for assistance. The primary disaster was the severe storm and floods that started on May 21, 2019 (FEMA, 2019). The federal, state, and voluntary organizations provided their assistance to the people in these counties.

Vulnerabilities

Some of the vulnerabilities include the number of housings in the area with a total of 6723 houses. The other weakness is the high number of older adults in the county, accounting for 24% of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The high female population is also a vulnerability because they are at a high risk of being affected by disasters and mostly because they do not have the strength and agility to face the catastrophes (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Other populations that are vulnerable to disasters are persons under 18 years, who form about 20.8% of the total population and those under five years (infants) that form about 5.5% of the total population.

Some of the critical infrastructures include nursing homes such as Legacy Nursing homes and Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Other critical infrastructures are two nuclear facilities that provide 77% of power to the county (Data USA, 2020). Others include water reserves that supply water to the people of Pope County and the hospitals that help provide health services to the people. There are 22 county public schools, with Arkansas Tech University being the largest university in the county. The necessary network infrastructure that provides network services to the people and power infrastructures to provide power to the people.

Capabilities

Pope County has a hazard mitigation plan that details all plans and policies to follow in case a hazard occurs; the program is valid from 2016 to 2021 (Pope County Emergency Management, n.d.). The county includes ten fire departments and fire stations. Pope County has a dedicated emergency management office in Russellville; they also have a Facebook account dedicated to emergency management and a web page that details all the mitigation plans, the critical phone numbers for essential services such as the 9-1-1 centers, and the emergency medical services. There are ten hospitals in Pope County that provide crucial services to the people of Pope County and could be used as emergency areas for the provision of health services to the people in the disaster areas.

Critical Analysis

Pope County has a high risk of being struck by a disaster, especially flooding due to the location of the county between a forest and a river valley. The threats of flooding from the rivers could also result in a disaster in the county again. Some of the vulnerabilities in the county include the older adults who are aged sixty-five years and above and the young people aged eighteen and below, as well as the young children aged five years and below. Other vulnerabilities include the critical infrastructure such as the hospitals, the schools, the nuclear plants that provide up to 77% energy needs of the people in Pope County. Some of the opportunities include a Pope County 9-1-1 emergency center that is mainly geared to ensuring that the county's emergency needs are taken care of. Other opportunities include a website and Facebook account and regular pieces of training for the officials and emergency providers in Pope County.

Some Recommendations include; introduction of Preparedness courses in public and private schools to enhance preparedness in the county and introduction of drills in the county where different simulated disasters can be played out to show the people how they should react. Incorporating the plans of the public in the mitigation and response plans. Creation and broadcasting of messages over radio, televisions, and social media pages to urge the people to ensure that they are prepared and the distribution of essential equipment that would be necessary during a disaster.

References

Data USA. (2020). Pope County, AR | Data USA. Datausa.io. Retrieved June 15, 2020, from https://datausa.io/profile/geo/pope-county-ar#education.

FEMA. (2019). Four More Arkansas Counties Added to Disaster Declaration. Retrieved June 15, 2020, from https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2019/06/16/four-more-arkansas-counties-added-disaster-declaration.

Pope County Emergency Management. Pope County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2016-2021.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts: Pope County, Minnesota. Census Bureau Quick Facts. Retrieved June n15 2020, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/popecountyminnesota/AGE775218.