Why is Natural Hazard Mitigation Important?
Most people who live or work in Dane County have been affected by natural hazards in one way or another. Dane County and its residents are vulnerable to a variety of hazards including extreme temperatures, severe winter weather, tornadoes, and floods. These extreme weather events seem to be occurring more and more frequently, often with disastrous results. In fact, many experts believe that the heavy rains, strong thunderstorms, and tornadoes that struck the upper Midwest in the summer of 2008 are a sign of the future trends. The frequency and severity of future weather extremes is difficult to predict, but the trend seems clear. Six of the fourteen federal disasters declared for Dane County have occurred in the last ten years. In fact, according to National Weather Service records, eight of the ten most costly weather events to affect Dane County have occurred since 2000. Combined, these ten events alone account for an estimated $181* million in property damage, crop loss, and governm
