Planning Process

Engaging stakeholders was crucial for building a comprehensive resilience plan. The City of Galax recognized the importance of involving various community members, from business owners to emergency management professionals, in the decision-making process. This diverse input ensured that the plan would address the actual needs and vulnerabilities of the community, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment among stakeholders. To form the Flood Management Resilience Commission (FMRC), the city staff reached out to individuals with relevant expertise and a vested interest in the community's resilience. Invitations were extended to local business owners, experts in the field, and emergency management coordinators, who together brought a wealth of knowledge and perspectives to the table. This collaborative approach aimed to create robust and sustainable solutions for flood management, ultimately enhancing the city's preparedness and ability to recover from future events.

The Plan is designed to be reader-friendly and functional primarily as a digitally published document published and hosted on the city’s website. This format was chosen for reader convenience, interactive indexing and referencing, and to reach a broader audience within the city. The resilience plan is divided into seven sections, as detailed below.

First, Section 1 – Introduction, introduces the plan, its contents, its purpose, how it relates to other planning processes, and the goals of the plan.

The Planning Process, Section 2, describes the process for development of the plan, identifying members of the planning team, and explaining how the public and other stakeholders were involved. Additionally, it includes a list of meetings and a summary of associated outcomes.

Existing Conditions, Section 3, provides a general overview of the geographic, demographic, environmental, and economic characteristics of the City of Galax. Additionally, this section discusses development practices and land use development, as well as flood history and flood mitigation and recovery efforts. This section develops the planning area identified in Section 1 and summarizes the position on the city when determining the city’s flood vulnerability and potential actions steps to increase flood resiliency.

The Capability and Capacity Assessment, Section 4, provides an inventory and analysis of existing ordinances, plans, policies, and relevant documents that support the city’s flood risk reduction efforts. The assessment identifies existing gaps and opportunities in programs or activities related to the city’s capacity. Additionally, the assessment identifies planning and regulatory capability, staff and organizational capability, political, technical, and fiscal capability.

The Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, Section 5, includes identification, analysis, and assessment of flood hazards that threaten the city, related to flooding. The assessment includes geospatial information publicly available, assessed in terms of flood frequency and severity due to climate change. The risk assessment enables the city to prioritize and focus its efforts on flood hazards of greatest concern and those structures or areas facing the greatest risk.

The Action Plan, Section 6, identifies strategic actions that the city can take to reduce flood risk. Each action is described in detail, with a timeline for completion, cost estimates, and potential funding strategies. This section also includes a set of prioritized actions, identified through the planning process as having the highest potential impact on flood risk reduction or are critical first steps in order to directly reduce risk or implement future flood risk reduction activities.

Lastly, Section 7 – Implementation and Maintenance, provides recommendations and processes for assessing the progress of plan implementation, assessing benefits, and updating the plan periodically to maintain the goals of the plan, as identified in Section 1.