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Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County adopts 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan to preserve FEMA funding eligibility
Summary
The commission unanimously adopted the Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 on Aug. 5 to keep the county eligible for FEMA mitigation grants; the plan lists nine natural and four technological hazards and 79 mitigation actions, including new measures for shelters, generators and warning systems.
The Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County unanimously adopted the Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 during its Aug. 5 regular meeting, a step county leaders said will preserve access to federal mitigation grants administered through GEMA and FEMA.
County Manager Thomas Weaver told the commission he needed the plan on the meeting agenda so the county could submit documentation to GEMA and FEMA for reimbursement. Commissioner Timothy Biddle moved to add the item to the agenda and later moved approval of the plan; Commissioner Jason Frost seconded both motions and the votes were unanimous.
The plan, prepared in accordance with FEMA requirements at 44 C.F.R. §201.6, updates the county's risk assessment and mitigation strategies. The executive summary included in the record says the update identifies nine natural hazards (including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, drought, wildfires and tropical cyclones) and four technological or man‑made hazards (including hazardous materials incidents and transportation incidents). The plan lists 79 mitigation strategies, of which 27 are new since the 2018 plan, and notes 13 strategies completed during the prior five years.
Examples of recommended actions cited in the plan include maintaining National Flood Insurance Program compliance, studying locations for outdoor warning sirens, purchasing portable generators for critical utilities, distributing NOAA weather radios to residents, and assessing sites for tornado shelters near mobile home parks. The plan states it will be updated every five years.
The county record notes the plan is intended as a working document to guide mitigation investments and to support grant applications; the hazard mitigation committee that oversaw the update included 21 representatives from county government and partner organizations.
What happens next: adoption keeps the county eligible for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding and provides a documented list of projects county staff can pursue for mitigation grant requests. The commission recorded the approval as a formal resolution in the meeting minutes.
