Congratulations to the towns of Sharon, Bethel, and Brookfield who recently received final FEMA approval for their Local Hazard Mitigation Plans (LHMP)! These Plans have a duration of 5 years, and they qualify their respective towns for a larger share of state funding towards damages that occur in the case of federally declared disasters, such as Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 or the 2013 flooding that occurred throughout Windsor County. LHMPs are part of the criteria included in the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF), which helps lessen the local costs incurred by municipalities when hazards happen. Resiliency from large storm events and higher levels of precipitation is crucial for many in the TRORC region that live near rivers and in valleys that are susceptible to flooding.
Community members in Newbury, Corinth, Thetford, Vershire, Topsham, West Fairlee, and Bradford are also working on formulating Local Hazard Mitigation Plans (LHMP) for their Towns. Although hazards cannot be stopped, proper planning can reduce damages to important infrastructure and threats to the health and safety of community members. In these LHMPs, members of mitigation teams for each town, which are composed of community members, Selectboard members, and emergency management members, determine which hazards pose risks to their towns. With help from TRORC, the hazard mitigation committee prioritizes mitigation strategies to reduce risks to people and property from these hazards.
With our assistance, the towns of Barnard, Pomfret, and Strafford have completed work on their LHMPs and have recently submitted final drafts for approval to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once FEMA approves of each plan, it will need to be adopted by the selectboards of each town, and will then be returned to FEMA for final approval.
For more information or to find out about upcoming meeting dates, contact Michael Storace at [email protected]