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<br />RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT <br />Ramsey County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan | July 2012 4-27 <br />Damage Assessment <br />Because all facilities within the County are subject to potential losses due to hailstorms, estimations were <br />done assuming 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent damages. <br />Land Use and Development Trends <br />Future development throughout Ramsey County will result in the potential damage of property from <br />hailstorms since no property is immune from their effects. <br />Vulnerability <br />Hail Storms <br />Frequency of Occurrence Likely <br />Warning Time 3-6 hours <br />Geographic Extent Community-wide <br />Potential Impact Minor <br />Multijurisdictional Concerns <br />All of Ramsey County is subject to hailstorms and therefore should be included in any prospective <br />mitigation projects. The probability of hailstorms occurring in the future is relatively high based on <br />previous data. Hailstorms affect Ramsey County equally and uniformly. <br />Hazard Summary <br />The severity of hailstorms is measured by duration, size of the hail itself, and geographic extent. All of <br />these factors are directly related to the weather phenomena that create hail and thunderstorms. There is <br />wide potential variation in these severity components. The size of the hail is a direct function of the <br />severity and size of the storm. The duration of each storm varies but rarely lasts longer than a couple of <br />hours. <br />Hailstorms rarely result in the loss of human life but they cause nearly $1 billion in property, livestock, <br />and crop damage in the United States each year. Once a hailstone reaches the size of about 1.5 inches in <br />diameter, damage to cars, windows, and siding will occur. There are no known instances of injuries or <br />death from hailstorm events in Ramsey County. Although typically not life-threatening, severe hailstorms <br />have the potential to cause significant property damage, particularly to automobiles and some building <br />types. The development of hailstorms from thunderstorm events causes nearly $1 billion in property and <br />crop damage each year. The NCDC database indicates there have been no deaths or injuries from <br />hailstorms between 1950 and 2011. <br />4.3.2 Wildfires <br />Hazard Identification <br />A wildfire is the uncontrolled burning of woodlands, brush, or grasslands. According to FEMA, there are <br />four categories of wildfires that are experienced throughout the United States: <br /> Wildland Fires: Fueled by natural vegetation. Typically occur in national forests and parks, where <br />federal agencies are responsible for fire management and suppression. <br /> Interface or Intermix Fires: Urban/wildland fires in which vegetation and the built-environment <br />provide fuel.