Bond County will have their second public meeting on July 27, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. at the Bond County Courthouse (200 W. College Avenue, Greenville). This meeting is to discuss the different hazards that may impact communities in Bond County, the risks the communities face, and introduce potential mitigation projects. While natural hazards cannot be entirely prevented, Hazard Mitigation Plans for the foundation for a community’s long-term strategy to reduce disaster-related losses. One representative from each jurisdiction is invited to serve on the committee.
An important part of the planning process is public input. The public is invited to actively participate in the development of the 2023 update. Please join the committee on July 27 to learn more about how to become involved in the process. If you would prefer to attend virtually, send an email to mitigation@isws.illinois.edu requesting the Zoom link information.
All of the participating jurisdictions will work with Bond County 911, University of Illinois extension, and the Illinois State Water Survey, in order to develop a plan to offer practical approaches and examples for how the communities can engage in effective planning to reduce long-term risk from natural hazards and disasters.
Information on the plan and previous meetings can be found at https://www.illinoisfloodmaps.org/bondhmp.aspx.
Under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires committees to develop a mitigation plan to minimize or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards. Mitigation is defined by FEMA as sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminated long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects. Hazards that may pose risk and potentially result in disaster include by are not limited to flood, drought, severe storms, tornado and earthquake. Communities with a FEMA-approved plan are eligible for certain grant funding under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) program to fund critical projects such as buyouts and structural elevation of repetitive flood loss structures, drainage projects, and hardening critical facilities, to minimize future damage from disasters that affect Bond County, as well as funds available post-disaster.
Future planning meetings will tentatively be held on Oct. 19 and Nov. 29, 2023.
