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Cusseta–Chattahoochee County adopts updated Hazard Mitigation Plan required by FEMA
Summary
The Board unanimously adopted the 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan, updating identified hazards and mitigation strategies so the county remains eligible for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant funding; county staff will use the plan to support future grant applications.
The Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County on Aug. 5 unanimously adopted the Cusseta–Chattahoochee County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024, a document the county says is required by FEMA for eligibility in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. County Manager Thomas Weaver brought the plan forward for immediate adoption so the county could submit for GEMA/FEMA reimbursement.
Thomas Weaver, County Manager, said the adoption was necessary to secure reimbursement and begin implementing mitigation actions; as Weaver put it, "we have been waiting a year for GEMA." The plan update, prepared with a 21‑member local committee, identifies nine natural hazards and four technological/manmade hazards and lists 79 mitigation strategies, including 27 new measures the county may pursue over time.
The plan materials note it was prepared to meet FEMA's requirements at 44 CFR 201.6 and will be revised at least every five years. The commission treated the resolution as a working document and approved it by unanimous vote after amending the meeting agenda to add the item. The resolution states the plan will be used to support long‑range mitigation budgeting and to justify grant applications.
County officials said completed mitigation steps since the previous plan include an inventory of critical facilities, shelter exercises, and improved coordination with state and federal emergency personnel. The plan also lists future measures the county may pursue if funding becomes available, ranging from outdoor warning sirens and tornado shelter studies to portable generators for the water utility.
The resolution was passed during the Aug. 5 regular meeting; county staff said GEMA and FEMA approvals are part of the required adoption and that the plan supports future grant applications to reduce the county's exposure to storms, flooding and other hazards.
