On June 12, the Kaufman County Emergency Management Department will be hosting a public meeting via live webinar to discuss and gather input on a working Hazard Mitigation Action Plan. Without the plan, the county has been unable to participate in the Metro Safe Room Rebate Program provided by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
This year, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) received nearly $1.4 from FEMA to fund the program which would provide a rebate of up to $3,000 to pay for half of the cost of a shelter. Because of the recent deadly tornadoes in North Texas and Oklahoma, the online application process for the program only ran for approximately 4.15 hours before the NCTCOG had to close the application process. According to NCTCOG, they received 825 applications but only had 400 spots reserved.
The program was only available to NCTCOG counties (Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant County) that met certain requirements and had an approved Hazard Mitigation Action Plan – a plan that Kaufman County began last year after receiving a federal grant.
Kaufman County has contracted with H2O Partners to conduct the public meetings to identify and analyze natural hazards affecting residents of the county. The information will help devise an action plan to reduce the impact of hazards including “droughts, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and other major disasters,” states a release from the Kaufman County Emergency Management Department.
The release further states, “The goal of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is to minimize or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from potential hazards by identifying and implementing cost-effective mitigation measures. Mitigation is defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects."
The live webinar will begin at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, and can be accessed via http://h2o.adobeconnect.com/mitigation. Individuals wishing to view and participate should register as a guest. If you cannot attend the live webinar, information regarding the planning process, along with a Public Survey is available on the county’s website at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KaufmanCountyHMAP.