Midland County is seeking public feedback to develop the Midland County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (HMAP).
According to a news release, the City of Midland, Midland and Greenwood Independent School Districts (ISDs), Midland College, and Midland Memorial Hospital are supporting the plan. The objective of HMAP is to address ongoing risks and create a mitigation strategy to protect property and human life. Respondents can complete a survey by May 30 or attend an upcoming public meeting to provide feedback.
The news release notes that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must approve updated hazard mitigation plans every five years for eligibility in FEMA's hazard mitigation assistance program. Once approved, the HMAP will also earn application scoring points for other grant programs.
According to the news release, there are four phases in the life cycle of a disaster: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Planning and actions taken when there is no immediate risk to the community fall under mitigation, which aims to eliminate or reduce future disaster impacts.