Laserfiche WebLink
APPENDIX A. ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS <br />A-9 <br />Risk Ranking = Probability + Impact (people + property + economy) <br />Robert T. Stafford Act: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public <br />Law 100-107, was signed into law on November 23, 1988. This law amended the Disaster Relief Act of <br />1974, Public Law 93-288. The Stafford Act is the statutory authority for most federal disaster response <br />activities, especially as they pertain to FEMA and its programs. <br />Sinkhole: A collapse depression in the ground with no visible outlet. Its drainage is subterranean. It is <br />commonly vertical-sided or funnel-shaped. <br />Special Flood Hazard Area: The base floodplain delineated on a Flood Insurance Rate Map. The SFHA <br />is mapped as a Zone A in riverine situations and zone V in coastal situations. The SFHA may or may not <br />encompass all of a community’s flood problems <br />Stakeholder: Business leaders, civic groups, academia, non-profit organizations, major employers, <br />managers of critical facilities, farmers, developers, special purpose districts, and others whose actions could <br />impact hazard mitigation. <br />Stream Bank Erosion: Stream bank erosion is common along rivers, streams and drains where banks have <br />been eroded, sloughed or undercut. However, it is important to remember that a stream is a dynamic and <br />constantly changing system. It is natural for a stream to want to meander, so not all eroding banks are “bad” <br />and in need of repair. Generally, stream bank erosion becomes a problem where development has limited <br />the meandering nature of streams, where streams have been channelized, or where stream bank structures <br />(like bridges, culverts, etc.) are located in places where they can actually cause damage to downstream <br />areas. Stabilizing these areas can help protect watercourses from continued sedimentation, damage to <br />adjacent land uses, control unwanted meander, and improvement of habitat for fish and wildlife. <br />Steep Slope: Different communities and agencies define it differently, depending on what it is being <br />applied to, but generally a steep slope is a slope in which the percent slope equals or exceeds 25%. For this <br />study, steep slope is defined as slopes greater than 33%. <br />Sustainable Hazard Mitigation: This concept includes the sound management of natural resources, local <br />economic and social resiliency, and the recognition that hazards and mitigation must be understood in the <br />largest possible social and economic context. <br />Thunderstorm: A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder produced by cumulonimbus clouds. <br />Thunderstorms usually produce gusty winds, heavy rains, and sometimes hail. Thunderstorms are usually <br />short in duration (seldom more than 2 hours). Heavy rains associated with thunderstorms can lead to flash <br />flooding during the wet or dry seasons. <br />Tornado: A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending between and in contact with a cloud <br />and the surface of the earth. Tornadoes are often (but not always) visible as funnel clouds. On a local scale, <br />tornadoes are the most intense of all atmospheric circulations, and winds can reach destructive speeds of <br />more than 300 mph. A tornado’s vortex is typically a few hundred meters in diameter, and damage paths <br />can be up to 1 mile wide and 50 miles long. <br />Vulnerability: Vulnerability describes how exposed or susceptible an asset is to damage. Vulnerability <br />depends on an asset’s construction, contents, and the economic value of its functions. Like indirect <br />damages, the vulnerability of one element of the community is often related to the vulnerability of another. <br />For example, many businesses depend on uninterrupted electrical power. Flooding of an electric substation