Sustainable City Year Reports 2020-21 (Troutdale)

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Browsing Sustainable City Year Reports 2020-21 (Troutdale) by Author "Caudill, Lydia"

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    Assessing Hazard Vulnerability in Troutdale
    (University of Oregon, 2021-06) Meng, Sian; Caudill, Lydia; Yang, Yizhao
    In this report, students helped address Troutdale’s goal of understanding potential hazards and the social vulnerability associated with such risks. Students collaborated in four research groups to collect data and analyze the potential for hazard susceptibility in the City. Students employed a variety of methods to inform their research including: • Literature review of selected hazard plans • Collecting and analyzing U.S. Census and GIS data • Local resources, including conversations with City planning staff and other professionals in related fields Groups were each assigned one of four hazards to research and analyze: wildfire, flooding, landslide, and earthquake/liquefaction. According to the final comprehensive analysis, it was determined that the city of Troutdale has low hazard susceptibility. Overall: • Wildfire susceptibility is low. However, three main regions of high burn susceptibility exist: along the east of the Sandy Riverfront, near the McMenamins Edgefield/Halsey Corridor, and a free-standing area located in Troutdale’s southeast. • Flood susceptibility is low. Susceptibility is highest near rivers, particularly on the east side of Sandy River and along Beaver Creek. • Landslide susceptibility is low, with the highest susceptibility area on the eastern extremity of Troutdale’s city limits. • Liquefaction susceptibility is relatively high. The high susceptibility area is located on the north side of Troutdale, near the Columbia River, and along the Sandy River and Halsey Street. Despite overall low hazard susceptibility, students established recommendations for increasing citizen resources and infrastructure safety and resilience. Increased education and awareness of the existing hazards can benefit residents ability to prepare for emergencies especially residents in high-hazards areas with greater social vulnerability. Additionally, Troutdale could mitigate and prepare for hazards by identifying funding for building and infrastructure retrofitting, establishing and placing signs that indicate alternate routes for emergencies, and adopting land use codes to limit future development in high hazard areas. Finally, due to growing tourism in the areas located within high hazard areas, Troutdale could benefit from developing a plan to communicate dangers and respond to the needs of visiting tourists in the face of emergencies.