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Section 4 4-30 Ramsey County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan | July 2012 Land Use and Development Trends Future development throughout Ramsey County will result in the potential for damage from wildfires. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) enforces the regulations on outdoor burning to assist in the reduction of wildfires. Land use codes do require that firebreaks be utilized in areas susceptible to wildfires. Vulnerability Wildfires Frequency of Occurrence Occasionally Warning Time Minimal Geographic Extent Localized to Community-wide Potential Impact Minor to Moderate Multijurisdictional Concerns All of Ramsey County is subject to wildfires and therefore should be included in any prospective mitigation projects. Rural areas of the County are more prone to wildfires than the urban areas. The smoke from the fires may also affect the urban areas as well as the travel on highways and roads throughout Ramsey County. Hazard Summary Wildfires have the potential to cause extensive property damage and affect many lives in the Ramsey County area. Although no wildfires have been reported in Ramsey County in 2011, the entire county is susceptible to the effects of a wildfire and it remains a threat. 4.3.3 Flooding Hazard Identification Flood information for Ramsey County was retrieved from the NCDC, the NWS, FEMA, the Ramsey County Vulnerability Report and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), as well as information from past newspaper articles relating to flooding in Ramsey County. Hazard Profile The majority of flooding that occurs in Ramsey County does so during longer term “wet” periods involving several consecutive high intensity, long duration storms or a wetter than normal spring, involving a rising water table 19. There two types of flooding that can occur almost anywhere on earth. The first is general flooding, which is defined by the National Weather Service as, “An overflow of water onto normally dry land. The inundation of a normally dry area caused by rising water in an existing waterway, such as a river, stream, or drainage ditch. Ponding of water at or near the point where the rain fell.” The second type of flooding is flash flooding. Flash flooding is defined as, “A flood caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours.” Flash flooding can also be caused by a levee or dam failure or the rush of water from an ice jam or barge release. Typically, general flooding is a longer term event whereas flash flooding is usually shorter in duration. Flood-related 19 Ramsey County, Minnesota Flood Insurance Study. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 2010.