The Regional Commission kicked off the 2016 update to the regional hazard mitigation plan on September 2 with a stakeholder steering committee meeting. FEMA requires every locality to maintain a hazard mitigation plan that examines the risk and impact of natural disasters and provides strategies for reducing impacts to people and property. Every five years this plan must be updated to ensure continued access to FEMA’s grant funds for mitigation projects.
The plan will identify potential hazards and rate their relative impact on the region, evaluate risks to human life and property, and develop goals for reducing these risks, which will be supported by mitigation strategies and projects in every participating locality and at the regional level.
The steering committee is composed of representatives from participating localities as well as regional, state, and federal agencies that have expertise to offer in hazard mitigation. Working groups for each of the hazards will meet during this process to more fully evaluate the data and develop the plan details.
A webpage will be posted to the Regional Commission website in the next few weeks where more information about the project, along with meeting agendas and draft documents, can be found and comments from interested parties can be submitted.
For further information, please contact Christy Straight (cstraight@nrvrc.org), 540-639-9313 x209.