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Ramsey County | Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan 86 • Electrical/Fuel Shortages – widespread outages can affect homes, businesses, and critical services, creating economic impacts and public health and safety concerns. • Supply chain disruptions – can have cascading effects across any number of industries, leading to shortages of goods, increased prices, and economic instability. Delays in the delivery of raw materials can affect manufacturing processes and operations. • Water contamination – can have significant health risks, short- and long-term environmental impacts, and costly economic impacts. 3.14.4 HISTORY Ramsey County has experienced various infrastructure failures over the years, significantly impacting the community, local economy, and the environment. • Transportation Accidents – the most notable transportation accident in Minnesota history was the I-35W Bridge Collapse in 2007. While the event occurred in Minneapolis, it significantly impacted the broader Twin Cities area, including Ramsey County. • Electrical/Fuel Shortages – Severe winter storms have caused widespread power outages over the year, impacting homes, business, and critical infrastructure. • Supply chain disruptions – COVID-19 caused global and local supply chain disruptions, including in Ramsey County. Additionally, significant floods in the 1960, and most recently 2024, disrupted transportation routes and logistics. • Water contamination – In 2017, elevated levels of lead were detected in drinking water in sections of St. Paul, prompting a response to improve water safety measures. 3.14.5 PROBABILITY The overall probability of infrastructure failures in Ramsey County is likely moderate, with some high risk during extreme weather events. The most likely causes of such failures include severe winter weather, flooding, and other weather-related events. Aging transportation infrastructure, such as road and bridges, and human caused impacts to communication systems and power grids can also increase the probability of failure. 3.14.6 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS Climate change may have profound impacts on infrastructure, leading to failures in the identified systems. Extreme weather events, specifically temperature extremes, are most likely to impact Ramsey County. Possible impacts include: • Transportation - Damaged roads, bridges, and railways from buckling road washouts, landslides, and structural failures. • Electrical and Fuel Shortages – Damage to power lines, substations, and power plants, leading to outages. Extreme temperatures can also lead to increased demand, putting additional strain on electrical grids. • Supply Chain Disruption – temperature changes can affect transportation infrastructure, delaying or restricting the delivery of goods and raw materials, as well as affecting the storage