On August 8th, the CSPDC’s Community and Economic Development team achieved a major milestone by hosting the final steering committee meeting for the new Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Nearly 40 representatives from local governments, regional organizations, and state agencies gathered at Augusta Community Care to collaborate on this critical planning initiative.
The steering committee finalized a set of regional goals and strategies that will guide the region’s hazard mitigation efforts over the next five years. The goals focus on six community themes:
- Economic Resilience
- Housing and Neighborhood Protection
- Environmental Stewardship
- Public Infrastructure Hardening
- Public Health and Safety Enhancement
- Regional Collaboration and Innovation
The Plan’s Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), which evaluates the region’s vulnerability to specific natural hazards and man-made threats, informed the steering committee’s discussion. Among the 12 hazards and threats analyzed, flooding, wildfires, severe winter weather, and hazardous materials release had “high” risk ratings. Additionally, the region faces unique challenges to bolstering its infrastructure, given its karst landscape and communication restrictions under the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ).
This fall, the CSPDC will incorporate the committee’s input and work with localities to identify specific projects that will boost community resilience. Once approved by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), these projects will become eligible for federal grant funding.
Watch CSPDC Connects for a draft plan and opportunities to provide comment and input later this fall.