Laserfiche WebLink
2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan <br />Kittitas County, Washington <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 4: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 78 <br />events); however, these types of events have a short term impact on avalanche conditions, but the <br />sequence, intensity, and duration of weather events will be more important.75F <br />76 According to the 2019 <br />Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, avalanches are projected to decline in number and <br />runout distance at lower elevations while avalanches involving wet snow, even in the winter, may occur <br />more frequently due to surface melt or rain-on-snow.76F <br />77 <br />4.6.1.7. FEMA NRI Expected Annual Loss Estimates <br />An avalanche NRI EAL score, and rating represent a community's relative level of expected building and <br />population loss each year due to avalanches when compared to the rest of the United States. The EAL <br />score is positively associated to a community’s risk; therefore, a higher EAL score results in a higher Risk <br />Index score. Table 4-27 outlines the avalanche EAL for Kittitas County. <br />Table 4-27. Avalanche Expected Annual Loss (FEMA National Risk Index) <br />Jurisdiction Population <br />Equivalence <br />Building <br />Value <br />Agriculture <br />Value <br />Total <br />Expected <br />Annual <br />Loss <br />Expected <br />Annual <br />Loss <br />Score <br />Rating <br />Kittitas County $588,314 $868 n/a $589,181 83.7 Very High <br />Expected Annual Loss is calculated utilizing an equation that includes exposure, annualized frequency, and historic loss ratios <br />(Expected Annual Loss = Exposure x Annualized Frequency x Historic Loss Ratio). <br />4.6.1.8. Avalanche Risk Index Scores <br />The FEMA avalanche Risk Index score and rating represent a community's relative risk for avalanches <br />when compared to the rest of the United States. Table 4-28 illustrates the avalanche Risk Index rating <br />and score for Kittitas County. <br />Table 4-28. Avalanche Risk Index (FEMA National Risk Index) <br />Jurisdiction Rating Score <br />Kittitas County Very High 80.8 <br />Expected Annual Loss scores are calculated utilizing an equation that combines values for exposure, annualized frequency, and historic loss <br />ratios (Expected Annual Loss = Exposure x Annualized Frequency x Historic Loss Ratio). <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />76 Horton, S. (2023). Layers of Complexity: Climate Change and the Future of Avalanches. Retrieved from <br />https://www.protectourwinters.ca/layers_of_complexity . <br />77 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2019). Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a <br />Changing Climate: High Mountain Areas (Chapter 2). Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter- <br />2/.