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Ramsey County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2018 <br /> <br />Page | 78 <br /> <br />organization has some type of governance and technical assistance program that aids landowners and <br />local governments for managing conservation issues including controlling or fixing erosion, practices that <br />moderate runoff, or practices that build resiliency. <br />Program Gaps & Deficiencies <br />Increasing Culverts and Raising Roads – Ramsey County Public Works Department is responsible for the <br />maintenance and construction of County State Aid Highways and County Roads, which include 293 <br />miles of roadway and 92 bridges. Municipalities or watersheds also hold some responsibility for certain <br />drainage systems. Ramsey County will need to assess who is responsible for these areas. <br />Community Rating System – Ramsey County EMHS will explore enrollment in the Community Rating <br />System (CRS) with municipalities. <br />Vulnerable Structure Identification – Ramsey County EMHS will identify critical infrastructure and <br />vulnerable structures within floodplains and promote applicable flood-proofing measures with owners or <br />municipalities. <br />Backup Power – Not all county or municipal facilities have backup power to critical facilities in the event <br />of a severe flood event storm that results in an extended power loss. <br />Communications – Everbridge’s open subscription service was made available to the public in September <br />2016 (https://www.ramseycounty.us/alerts). However, not all residents have subscribed to or follow our <br />Facebook page to receive important messages. Additionally, there are translation services for only three <br />languages (Spanish, Somali, and Hmong). There are over 100 identified languages spoken in Ramsey <br />County, and more than 50 are spoken preferentially in the home. Ramsey County Emergency <br />Management and Homeland Security will, in cooperation/coordination with other partners, place an <br />emphasis on increasing citizen subscription to Everbridge. <br />4.4.6 Severe Winter Storms – Blizzards, Ice Storms <br />Blizzards are storms that contain heavy snowfall, strong winds and cold temperatures. The combination <br />of these elements creates blinding snow with near zero visibility, deep snowdrifts, and life-threatening <br />wind chill temperatures. Blizzards are the most dramatic and destructive of all winter storms that occur <br />within Ramsey County, and are generally characterized as storms bearing large amounts of snow <br />accompanied by strong winds. They can completely immobilize travel in large areas and can be life- <br />threatening to humans and animals in their path. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), <br />there is no fixed temperature requirement for blizzard conditions, but the life-threatening nature of low <br />temperatures in combination with blowing snow and poor visibility increases dramatically when <br />temperatures fall below 20° F. Blizzards typically occur between October and April; however, they <br />occur most frequently from early November to late March. <br />The greatest numbers of blizzards historically have occurred in the months of January, followed by <br />March and November, respectively. Ramsey County, along with all areas of Minnesota, is susceptible to <br />blizzards. <br />Damages from blizzards can range from human and livestock deaths to significant snow removal costs. <br />Stranded drivers can make uninformed decisions, such as leaving the car to walk in conditions that put