County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Receives FEMA Approval.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

The county has a new local mitigation strategy (LMS) plan, that will incorporate good planning for communities to survive hazardous events and lessen the impact for the next five years, which has gained approval from the federal government.

The plan includes an assessment of vulnerabilities as well as strategies and best practices for reducing the impacts of a wide range of potential disasters – everything from hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods to wildfires, sinkholes, tsunamis, and acts of terror.

Updated plans were approved in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. After an extensive update that included numerous meetings, working groups, workshops, and participation by most of the cities in Volusia County, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, approved the county’s LMS plan through July 30, 2025.

“Naturally, we can’t stop these things from occurring,” said Volusia County Emergency Management Director Jim Judge. “But there’s a lot that we can do to help insulate the community from one of these events becoming a full-blown disaster. The mitigation strategy plan is where it all begins.”

In addition to providing risk assessments and mitigation strategies, the plan also is intended to expedite the response and recovery process. Jurisdictions must have an approved LMS plan in place to qualify for federal pre-disaster mitigation, hazard mitigation, and flood mitigation assistance grant programs.