Logan County Natural Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will meet Thursday

[January 11, 2013]  Steps to prevent injuries and deaths while maintaining vital services for Logan County residents when floods and severe storms hit will be discussed when the Logan County Natural Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee meets on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex, 911 Pekin St. in Lincoln. Meetings of the committee are open to the public.

This committee began work in August to prepare a plan that will identify projects and activities to protect Logan County residents and property from storms and other natural disasters. This plan, unlike all other emergency plans, is aimed at identifying projects and activities that can be taken before these disasters occur.

"Other emergency plans are directed at responding after a storm or natural disaster hits. This is the first time in Logan County that we are looking at actions that can reduce or eliminate damages caused by specific types of storms and other natural disasters," said Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency.

Atlanta, Broadwell, Elkhart, Emden, Hartsburg, Lincoln and Mount Pulaski are participating in this planning process.

Building storm shelters, resolving drainage problems, and retrofitting water supplies and other critical facilities to better withstand natural disasters are a few examples of the kinds of projects that might be included in the plan. Developing public information materials and conducting drainage studies are examples of other activities that might also be included in the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.

"Developing a plan that is approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help all the participating jurisdictions become eligible for state and federal grant money," added Terry Storer, committee chairman.