Kennedale holds public review of draft 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan, seeks resident input

Kennedale Fire Chief Eric Peterson presented the city’s draft 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan at a public meeting, reviewed priority hazards and proposed mitigation actions, and asked residents to submit feedback before the city sends a final version to Texas and federal reviewers.

Peterson, who also serves as the city’s emergency manager, said the update is required every five years to remain eligible for federal and state mitigation grants and to keep the city’s mitigation projects aligned with Tarrant County and FEMA guidance. “This is the second public meeting we’re having on the mitigation plan,” he said, noting the draft and an online survey are posted on the fire department’s webpage.

Why it matters: the plan identifies likely hazards and ranks actions that reduce long-term risks to people, property and critical services. Peterson said the team prioritized severe weather and flooding and described actions intended to protect life safety and speed recovery, including generator coverage for critical facilities, options for outdoor warning sirens, retrofits for winter-storm response vehicles, and evaluating burying overhead power lines in new developments.

During a question-and-answer period, attendees raised technical and accessibility concerns. One resident asked about the precise definition of flooding used for policy and insurance. Peterson described local indicators—overflow from creek beds into the floodplain and impacts to travel and infrastructure—but said he would check formal definitions and follow up on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) compliance. When asked whether the survey had been issued in Spanish, Peterson replied, “I can still do that now.”

On mitigation tools, consultant-identified staff member Ed explained that acquiring properties that repeatedly flood is a common practice in hazard mitigation because it allows the city to remove hazards, prevent redevelopment in flood-prone areas and reduce future insurance claims. “Acquiring properties that regularly flood is a fairly common practice, in terms of hazard mitigation,” Ed said.

Peterson acknowledged that some cost estimates in the draft are provisional and based on FEMA benefit-cost approaches; staff will verify figures before final submission. He also encouraged residents to enroll in Everbridge alerts, which the city uses to send automated severe-weather warnings and other emergency messages.

Next steps: the city will collect feedback through the December–February window, revise the draft as needed, submit it to the Texas Department of Emergency Management and FEMA for review, and then present the approved plan and a resolution request to Kennedale City Council for formal adoption. Peterson said the plan will be monitored at least twice a year and undergo a formal five-year update cycle.

Peterson closed by offering his contact information and staying after the meeting to take additional questions.