Warren County will begin development of its first plan to reduce the damages caused by natural hazards such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, ice storms and snowstorms, among others. The plan is called a Hazard Mitigation Plan and the process to develop it will be funded through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“This Plan will detail the natural hazards that have impacted the County and municipalities and identify projects and activities to reduce the risk to people and property before severe weather strikes”, said Chief Casey Rexroat, Warren County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator. “In addition, this Plan will allow us to become eligible for federal funds to construct the projects identified in the Plan,” added Rexroat.
The Warren County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, November 16th at 3:00 P.M. The meeting will be held at Mek’s On Main at 201 N. Main Street in Monmouth. This Committee is made up of County, township, and municipal representatives as well as technical partners and stakeholders and will meet over the next year to develop this plan. Meetings of this committee will be conducted as working sessions so that any interested resident can attend and ask questions. The purpose of these working sessions is to gather and discuss information that will be used to develop the plan.
“This mitigation plan is different because it focuses on ways to reduce and prevent damages before they occur, rather than on how the County and municipalities will respond to a disaster after it occurs,” added Rexroat.
***Report Courtesy of Warren County ESDA Coordinator Chief Casey Rexroat***