Habersham County on Tuesday held its first of three meetings to discuss an update to the county's Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The meetings are meant to update the five-year plan with input from county and city leaders, other stakeholders and the public to look at any possible hazards to the community and minimize the impact ahead of time, should one of those hazards occur.
“I feel good about everybody that was here today,” said Habersham County E-911//Emergency Management Agency Director Lynn Smith. “We had great participation, not just from public safety but from the community – different partners here.”
Katy Westbrook of Lux Mitigation and Planning said public input is vital in the update to the plan.
“Any department, agency, organization that is willing to participate is more than welcome to,” Westbrook said. “It’s open to the public. The whole point of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is to look at the hazards, both natural and manmade, that a community could face, and then what you can do ahead of time to try to minimize the impact, or lessen the blow, if or when one of those hazards were to occur.”
Smith encourages large interests, such as organizations, resorts, neighborhoods, or vulnerable populations to send only one representative to the meetings due to space constraints.
Having an up-to-date plan with input from the community allows the county and its municipalities to go after Hazard Mitigation Grants. These grants can help fund the purchase of items like generators, NOAA Weather Radios, and tornado sirens, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency paying 75% of the total cost.
It also allows the county to receive certain types of disaster assistance if a hazard occurs.
The next meeting will be held on August 15, and the final meeting will be on Sept. 19 at the Habersham County Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center.
Participants on Tuesday identified hazards faced in the county and prioritized those hazards based on likelihood and preparedness.
"Westbrook said the next meeting will include discussion of hazard mitigation strategies, the strategies identified last time the plan was reviewed for the last five years, and will determine whether to delete them, modify them, or add any new strategies that have come up in the past five years," a press release from Habersham County said. "Additionally, any structural projects, resources, or training that can occur ahead of time will be discussed."
