In May of 2021, Otter Tail County completed a three-year process of creating a long-range strategic plan. The plan, which includes significant community input, outlines the county’s goals and objectives for addressing many of the known unknowns of the next two decades.
Chapter four of this 119-page document contains a summary of the county’s position and planning for resiliency, including an outline of the functions and key considerations for the Otter Tail County Emergency Management Department:
“Emergency management should also consider a response to our changing climate and the resulting effects on our environment and healthy lifestyle. From changes in weather patterns to rising water levels, these changes result in a range of impacts in Otter Tail County. Continued efforts to respond and adapt to these changes will reduce impacts and build resiliency across the county.”
Emergency Management Mitigation Planning
Patrick Waletzko is Otter Tail County’s Emergency Manager, and I spoke with him to see how the county is planning to remain resilient.
“In addition to the long-range strategic plan, we also have a county-wide multi-hazard mitigation plan, which is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for us to update every five years,” Waletzko said.
“The plan contains comprehensive profiles of all of the different types of natural disasters we can experience. That information helps us develop a five-year approach for what we can do in advance to mitigate, either completely remove or greatly reduce, the overall impact of a particular type of hazard.”
Waletzko told me that every city in Otter Tail County provided input, guiding the development of the plan, and they received good representation from the 62 townships. For each hazard identified—from flooding to wildfires—the plan includes a profile on the history, probability of occurrence, climate change projections, vulnerability, and program gaps and deficiencies.
Extreme Weather Seasons This Year
Flooding risk typically starts in our region about now, in mid to late April. “We’re a little bit late this particular year, so late March will really kick off our flood watch,” Waletzko said, noting Otter Tail, as well as surrounding counties, can possibly see high rivers from snowmelt flooding into June and even early July.
“This winter, however, we were right on target, around average, for our snowfall. We went into winter in a drought, and with snowpack and the temperatures we’ve been having, we anticipate this to be a moderate impact spring,” Waletzko said.
Most of the county’s severe thunderstorms and tornados happen in June and July, but the county also has experienced tornadoes into September and October. Unfortunately, Otter Tail County holds the record for the most number of tornados in any county in Minnesota.
Preparedness Resources and Smart911
One of the most important responsibilities of Emergency Management is alerts and warnings. Otter Tail County shares information about what residents can reasonably expect for extreme weather scenarios, where to look for warnings, how to understand FEMA’s language, and how to prepare themselves in case.
“We maintain a county-wide emergency notification system: Smart911,” said Waletzko. “People can sign up to receive weather warnings for any address—their home, cabin, school, or business.”
Those who sign up to Smart911 can receive severe weather and local emergency notifications by phone, either cell or landline, text, email, or can download the mobile app.
About the Author
Benjamin Velani is the Lead for America Climate Fellow and serving AmeriCorps member at West Central Initiative. He recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cornell University, majoring in Religious Studies and Government and writing an undergraduate thesis on the human and ecological effects of light pollution and dark night skies. He was formerly the Dining Editor at The Cornell Daily Sun, and he’s now taking the lead on West Central Initiative’s Climate Action Newsletter.
