Planning Ahead for Disaster Recovery

Mineral Independent

Every five years the Federal Emergency Management Agency requires counties to update their pre-disaster mitigation plans to qualify for both pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation assistance.

WGM Group, in coordination with Mineral County and the St. Regis Resort District, will be taking a broad look at natural disasters and a few man-made hazards that could affect Mineral County.

It will examine everything from wildland fires and floods to pandemics or hazmat spills, and looking at how the county would prepare and respond to each scenario.

Pre-disaster mitigation plans review the hazards the community is exposed to, evaluates the areas and population that may be vulnerable to the hazards, and assesses the potential for future hazards and their impacts on the community.

The plans identify methods and projects to mitigate hazards and prioritize projects based on need and effectiveness.

WGM Group has been contracted by the St. Regis Resort District to provide technical assistance, risk assessment, and models of different scenarios, as well as mitigation strategies for Mineral County as an update to the 2012 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan.

The current 2012 plan will be used as the foundation document, with changes and revisions being added as necessary.  

WGM Group has completed a DRAFT Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan and is ready for public review and comment. The DRAFT Plan can be accessed through the website URL provided below.

Comments can be submitted in writing to WGM Group, the website portal, or directly to Stuart Ellsworth at 1111 W Broadway St., Missoula, MT, 59802.

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation Website Portal can be found at https://www.wgmgroup.com/current-projects. Ellsworth's e-mail is

sellsworth@wgmgroup.com

Public input and comments will be accepted for 30 days. This process began on Sept. 14 with a Public Input Meeting in Alberton and will conclude Oct. 14.

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation plan is currently in review with Montana Disaster and Emergency Services and FEMA as a requirement of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and allow the County to qualify for pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation assistance and grants.

Timing is of the essence though. A grant application window will open this fall and close at the end of January 2021. Timely public participation is essential for meeting the requirements of FEMA and the applicable grant funding sources.

Additional project information and comments can be made on the project website:

https://www.wgmgroup.com/current-projects.

For more information, please contact Stuart Ellsworth, WGM Group at (406)728-4611.