Over the last few months, CMPDD has prepared and submitted for approval Hazard Mitigation Plans for the Cities of Clinton and Richland, and the Counties of Madison and Rankin. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires local jurisdictions to maintain an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan in order to maintain grant eligibility for certain pre- and post-disaster grant programs available through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition, Plans are required to be reviewed and updated every five-years to account for any changes that might have occurred that could increase or decrease a communities risk to a particular hazard.
Predicting where the next disaster will occur, and how severe its impact will be on a community is difficult. Given the right conditions natural disasters, such as tornadoes and flash floods, can occur at anytime and anyplace. Their human and financial consequences can be significant. Mitigation planning is intended to assist communities in determining their risks to natural disasters and developing an action plan to address the known risks by lessening the impact of natural disasters when they do take place. In the coming months, CMPDD will be working with several local jurisdictions to update their existing Hazard Mitigation Plans before they expire. These include the Cities of Flowood and Hazlehurst, and Warren County.
Earlier this year, revised Mitigation Plans were developed and approved for Bentonia, Brandon, Clinton, Eden, Florence, Georgetown, Jackson, Ridgeland, Pelahatchie, Satartia, Vicksburg, Wesson, Yazoo City, Copiah County and Yazoo County. For more information concerning the mitigation planning process underway or to find out how you can be involved in the process contact Lesley Callender at 601-981-1511 or visit the District’s mitigation website page.
