December 22, 2023 |
Photo – A Hazard Mitigation Plan cover – Bigfoot99 file photo
More details emerged about the updated Region 3 Hazard Mitigation Plan for Carbon and Albany Counties.
Wyoming hazard emergency management Region 3 contains both Carbon and Albany Counties. Every five years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency requires local municipalities to update their hazard mitigation plans.
Hazard mitigation refers to the actions taken to reduce the risk associated with floods, fires, and other natural or man-made disasters. A good hazard mitigation plan will address any potential issues before they become a danger to life and property.
According to the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, a hazard mitigation plan is designed to break the cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage associated with areas without strong disaster preparedness.
Beginning in 2024, Carbon and Albany Counties will begin updating the 2019 Region 3 Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Wyoming Office of Homeland Security hired Synergy Disaster Recovery, a Boulder, Colorado-based consulting firm, to spearhead the plan development process. Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman and the county’s 10 municipalities will get together with Synergy Disaster Recovery to formulate an updated plan.
Speaking to Bigfoot99, Emergency Manager Layman said the 2019 plan needs to be revisited to ensure the list of hazards are still relevant. Through 2024, Layman, Synergy, and all the towns of Carbon County will review the 2019 plan and propose any needed updates.
Layman said Synergy Disaster Recovery will dictate how the new plan will take shape. Layman wasn’t present when the 2019 plan was put into place. However, the emergency manager said the process mostly consists of meetings between participating entities where planning and preparation is discussed. Layman said the development of the 2024 Region 3 Hazard Mitigation Plan is likely to take the entirety of the year.
An updated hazard mitigation plan is required for a municipality to remain eligible for mitigation funding through FEMA.
Synergy Disaster Response will begin holding meetings in Carbon County starting in February. At the December 19th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Chairwoman Sue Jones tasked Layman with convincing every municipality in the county to send a representative to the hazard mitigation plan meetings.
Residents are also encouraged to participate in the planning process. According to the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security, as the hazard mitigation discussions progress, Synergy will reach out to the public through a short, on-line survey.
Layman said the updated Region 3 Hazard Mitigation Plan is expected to be completed by late 2024 or early 2025. More details will be provided as the planning process nears the February start date.
