t 'enhanced' plan for federal approval
Above: Representatives from a variety
of state agencies discuss implications of
Georgia's top hazards such as severe
weather, tornadoes and extreme heat.
Left: After discussing the top action items
that might come about as a result of
each hazard, attendees cast their votes
for which item their agency considers to
be most important. This allows Hazard
Mitigation Planners to better understand
what concerns the state as a whole, and
therefore build out their plans, which will
be submitted to FEMA later this year.
(Photos by Julia Regeski.)
complete and the governor has
signed off on the plan’s adoption,
the document is then ready to be
submitted to FEMA, who reviews
it, provides feedback, and returns
the plan so the state can make any
needed changes.
Despite the lengthy drafting
process, completing a thorough,
high-quality hazard mitigation plan
remains a priority for the agency
because it means more help for the
state as a whole. “When we have
a disaster, local governments want
money to help them recover from
the disaster. State agencies want to
be reimbursed for their damages
and their support of operations,”
said Lunn.
With everything from tornadoes
to earthquakes named as potential
risks for the state of Georgia,
creating a strategic hazard
mitigation plan to reduce or even
eliminate the risk to human life and
property is considered crucial –
perhaps now more than ever.
DISPATCH