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<br />Section 4 <br />4-18 Ramsey County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan | July 2012 <br />August. During a public meeting, participants identified that there was a lighting strike during a 1998 <br />storm that resulted in a fatality. <br />Hazard Profile <br />Lightning, as with many natural hazards, can strike anywhere and at any time. Data from NCDC reported <br />three incidents of lightning strikes in Ramsey County since 1998 and local knowledge indicates many <br />more instances. <br />Assets Exposed to Hazard <br /> Property Risk/Vulnerability: In evaluating assets that are susceptible to lightning strikes, the <br />committee determined that all critical facilities as well as all public, private, and commercial <br />property are susceptible to being struck by lightning. <br /> People Risk/Vulnerability: In evaluating vulnerability of the population in Ramsey County, it was <br />determined that risk/vulnerability includes the entire population of the County, since there is no way <br />to determine the impact/magnitude of a lightning strike/incident and no way to predict where <br />lightning will hit. People are vulnerable to lightning strikes/events through power outages, effects on <br />transportation routes, establishment of shelters, being struck by lightning, etc. This is particularly <br />true due to a significant chance of a lightning strike occurring in any given year in the County. <br /> Environment Risk/Vulnerability: Risks to the environment are low for a lightning strike/incident. <br />Estimate of Potential Losses <br />Lightning strikes can cause varying degrees of damage to a facility. Most common is lightning destroying <br />the electrical components of a facility or damage related to fire after a lightning strike. Unlike most other <br />natural hazards, lightning could potentially damage or destroy the contents of a structure (computers, <br />televisions, phones, etc.) without any effect on the structure itself. As stated previously, all structures are <br />vulnerable to a lightning strike and were evaluated for potential losses. <br />Land Use and Development Trends <br />Ramsey County does not currently have land use or development trends related to lightning. <br />Vulnerability <br />Lightning Strikes <br />Frequency of Occurrence Likely <br />Warning Time None <br />Geographic Extent Localized <br />Potential Impact Minor <br /> Multijurisdictional Concerns <br />All of Ramsey County can potentially be affected by lightning. As a result, any mitigation steps taken <br />related to lightning should be undertaken on a countywide basis. <br />Hazard Summary <br />Lightning strikes, although rare in occurrence, have a high danger potential associated with them. <br />Lightning, as with some of the other natural hazards typical to Ramsey County, can strike anywhere and <br />at any time. Its unpredictability along with its deadly and destructive potential is all the more reason to <br />explore mitigation actions.