The 2011 wildfires hit the Lake Travis community hard, creating devastating effects in the Steiner Ranch, West Hwy. 71 and Spicewood areas. For many residents, it took a long time to get back on their feet.

Now, Travis County and local jurisdictions are giving citizens a chance to weigh in on how to best minimize future risk to the region’s people and property.

Planners are conducting workshops on a regional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan update, a task completed every five years as a requirement for Travis County and local jurisdictions to qualify for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for proactive projects that decrease potential loss from a natural disaster.

The program kicked off yesterday with a presentation by H2O Partners Mitigation Specialist Rachel Andrews at Lakeway City Hall.

  1. H2O Partners was hired by Travis County to conduct the plan update and solicit feedback from residents via a survey, meeting input and social media as to their experiences with the types of catastrophic events for which mitigation projects can be funded. The group will use this information on the local level, to prioritize the needs of individual communities. Residents can take this online survey—no ending date at this time—in English or Spanish.



  1. The results compiled from the survey will help officials create the Hazard Mitigation Action Plan, which will cover Travis County, Village of the Hills and the cities of Lakeway, Manor, Pflugerville and Sunset Valley.



  1. Feedback from the survey especially helps to prioritize plans against dam failure, drought, earthquake, extreme heat, flood, hail, land subsidence, lightning, thunderstorm, wind, tornado, wildfire and winter storms.



  1. Contributing your input helps organizers incorporate two actions per hazard into the plan to help reduce or mitigate the damage from such disasters. Some examples of these projects include government buyouts, elevations for flood-prone structures, constructing a community safe rooms and adding warning sirens in case of a tornado.



  1. Get involved early before any FEMA-approved plan is passed by your local City Council, which requests federal dollars through FEMA grants to implement local safety measures.