Tioga County is preparing for future flooding and other natural hazards

The Tioga County Departments of Emergency Services and Economic Development & Planning, along with the Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District have begun the process of updating the 2013 Hazard Mitigation Plan for the County and its 15 municipalities.

This plan will identify key actions to be taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from natural disasters such as floods, severe storms and winter storms. FEMA defines hazard mitigation as a “sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk and their property from hazards.”

With the aid of the hired consultant, Tetratech, the county’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will conduct risk assessment tasks. First the Committee will identify hazards that may impact the county and its municipalities and then profile the relevant hazards and their potential consequences. Secondly, assets that are subject to losses or damage, including physical structures, critical facilities, functions and populations will be identified. Finally, potential losses that could result from each type of hazard will be estimated.

Following the risk assessment, Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee members will develop a hazard mitigation strategy for their respective municipalities. The strategy will include the identification of hazard mitigation goals as well as a prioritized list of actions designed to reduce losses.

The plan focuses on existing and future buildings, infrastructure, and critical facilities that might be impacted by natural disasters. Ultimately, the mitigation projects identified and implemented will reduce vulnerability and enable communities to recover more quickly from disasters.

The update of this plan allows the county and participating municipalities to continue to be eligible for future pre-disaster mitigation funding from FEMA. Example of grant-eligible projects include home acquisitions or elevations – to either remove houses located in the floodplain to generate open space and increase flood storage, or to raise their first floor above the FEMA base flood elevation – and local flood control measures.

A series of meetings open to the public will be part of the plan development process, both to solicit public comment and to present the draft plan to residents and local officials. In the near future, information about the All Hazards Mitigation Plan and meeting dates will be posted on the county’s website, www.tiogacountyny.com/departments/emergency-services/.

It is expected that this All Hazards Mitigation Plan update will be complete by the end of 2018.

For questions and more information, please contact Elaine Jardine, County Planning director, at jardinee@co.tioga.ny.us or by phone at (607) 687-8257.