The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) and a committee of local government representatives from its twenty-one jurisdictions recently completed an extensive update of the Central Shenandoah Valley Regional All Hazards Mitigation Plan, which is an eligibility requirement for certain federal hazard mitigation grant funding mandated by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000.
The purpose of All Hazards Mitigation Plans is to identify and rank all natural hazards that impact a region, gather historical information about specific severe weather events, offer broad categories of mitigation strategies and provide a regional capabilities assessment. The Central Shenandoah Valley Plan was first approved and adopted in 2005, and the current update process began in 2010. Additions and revisions reflect additional weather events since the original plan was adopted, completed mitigation projects and applicable locality activity, as well as the results of public surveys and an overview of educational presentations throughout the Region.
The update process was supported by the CSPDC and led by a Steering Committee made up of local government staff, regional representatives of state agencies, interested citizens and other organizations. A survey of local citizens elicited 644 responses and contributed to the development of the plan. Funding for the update of the plan was provided in large part through a Pre-disaster Mitigation Grant from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with matching funds provided by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and local jurisdictions within the CSPDC.
Sharon Angle, Director of Planning for the City of Staunton talks about the plan: “Hazard and capabilities assessments, collaborative planning and preparedness education can go a long way in reducing the impact of natural disasters on citizens, property and businesses of the Central Shenandoah Valley region. The update of the All Hazards Mitigation Plan is the result of regional cooperation, citizen input and a lot of hard work by the CSPDC staff that will serve the area well in future hazard situations.”
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