CHENANGO COUNTY – Having dealt with a number of natural disasters in recent years, Chenango County planning execs are working closely with municipalities across the county to update a hazard mitigation plan to keep residents and their property safe during inclement weather.

Efforts to update the county’s hazard mitigation plan are being promoted among elected officials throughout the area and via the county’s website. The project, which is a collaborative work between municipal leaders and the county’s department of planning and development, includes strategies to lessen flooding as well as other widespread natural disasters, and outlines the county’s intent to use FEMA assistance should a natural disaster be declared by federal standards.

“It’s a project that requires a lot of work from our office just to gather information from all the towns and villages in the county,” said Chenango County Planning and Development Director Donna Jones. “FEMA wants towns to have a long-range plan to know how to identify problems and correct those problems before a disaster happens.”

FEMA requires the county to update its hazard mitigation plan every five years in order to qualify for federal assistance, Jones explained. “Without this plan, FEMA won’t provide emergency grant funding if a disaster occurs in any municipality in the county,” she said. “Right now, we’re working with highway superintendents and town supervisors to gather all the information we need to meet (FEMA) requirements.”