County, tribe and city review Pre-Disaster Mitigation worksheets in FEMA update meeting

Kelly Hendricks of the First District Association led a community workshop during the council meeting to update Flandreau’s five-year Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) plan required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hendricks, a GIS specialist with First District, said the PDM update is performed every five years to keep documentation current for FEMA and to help streamline recovery and funding if a major incident occurs. She guided council members, staff and residents through worksheets that rate the frequency and vulnerability of hazards such as drought, extreme cold, heavy rain, ice and flooding.

“Every five years, we update it to keep FEMA happy and to make sure all your ducks in a row just in case a natural disaster would occur,” Hendricks said. She collected worksheet responses to compile an average community score and told the group she will return a scored draft for the council’s review before sending it to FEMA.

City staff and councilors discussed infrastructure updates to the plan. Cole (city staff) described ongoing and upcoming projects: the city anticipates a pre-construction conference for a water‑sewer project in mid‑March and said much of the town’s distribution system has been replaced in recent years. He said two lift stations have been updated and additional upgrades remain on the list.

Council members and workshop participants identified mitigation priorities: continuing stormwater and sanitary sewer upgrades, stabilizing riverbank erosion at the city park, improving substation reliability or adding transformers, and state-of-the-dam safety and recreational improvements. Participants also requested critical infrastructure entries for the tribal nursing home, new daycare and Boys and Girls Club early-learning center and communications equipment on water towers.

Cole suggested adding “finding a sustainable solution for ambulance service” to the PDM project list after council discussion about potential city involvement in ambulance operations earlier in the meeting. Hendricks said mitigation activity sites on the map should include the community center, the hospital and the city park; participants suggested adding tornado shelters and the new fire station.

Hendricks said she will compile the worksheet results, score damages and probability, and return a draft of the updated PDM plan for local review. The council did not take formal action during the workshop; the worksheet responses will be submitted to FEMA as part of the PDM update.