Burke County commissioners approved the county’s five-year hazard mitigation plan update and accompanying resolution after staff said the revision brings the plan into compliance with current Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations.

Staff said the update was completed with the help of the regional commission, with a FEMA grant of about $18,000 that funds the work and is expected to be fully reimbursable. “That’s a 100 percent reimbursable through that FEMA grant,” staff said, naming a contractor involved in the work. County emergency management staff described the update as a regulatory compliance step: FEMA periodically updates guidance and the county revises the plan to remain eligible for mitigation funding.

“New FEMA leadership means new regulations,” an emergency services representative said, adding that the plan is on the five-year update cycle. Commissioners voted to adopt the plan and the resolution at the meeting.

Staff said adopting the updated plan helps protect the county’s eligibility for mitigation grants and positions the county to pursue FEMA funding for future infrastructure or resilience projects. There was no discussion of specific mitigation projects or budget awards tied to the plan at the meeting.