Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Creating Disaster-Resistant Communities through Hazard Mitigation Planning

Atlantic County is working with its 23 municipalities to update its Hazard Mitigation Plan to help reduce the risk of loss and create more disaster-resistant and sustainable communities.

Natural disasters have the potential to cause property loss, loss of life, economic hardship, and threats to public health and safety. A hazard mitigation plan identifies projects and actions that can be implemented to reduce the impact of future disasters on life and property. Efforts may include elevating buildings in flood prone areas and relocating critical facilities to break the typical disaster cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeated damage.

All states and local governments are required to have a hazard mitigation plan to be eligible to apply for federal mitigation project grants. Atlantic County uses a multi-jurisdictional approach to include all of its communities in the development and implementation of a countywide plan.

“We are working together to protect Atlantic County residents and properties from the devastation and damage that can occur as a result of a disaster. And we have the life lessons of Hurricane Irene, a derecho and Superstorm Sandy to guide us,” stated County Executive Dennis Levinson.

Atlantic County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is implemented on an ongoing basis and must be updated every five years to ensure it represents local risks and preferred risk reduction. The cost of the plan update is covered by funding from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant obtained by Atlantic County.

Atlantic County residents are invited to provide their input through an online survey available at www.aclink.org/pdm.

For more information visit the website or contact the Atlantic County Office of Emergency Preparedness at (609) 407-6742.

Click here to take survey.

County News