Extreme weather events in Whiteside County raise important questions. How vulnerable are residents to these storms? What are the most frequently occurring natural hazards? How much damage do storms and other natural hazards, such as drought, cause?
These questions and other related issues will be discussed when representatives from Whiteside Countyand local municipalities meet Thursday, October 30 at theOdell Public Library at 307 S. Madison in Morrison. This group, the Whiteside County Hazard Mitigation Committee, will meet through the next several months to prepare the plan to reduce damages caused by natural hazards. The Committee Meeting begins at 1 p.m. and all Committee Meetings are open to the public.
“The plan should become our best resource to help county and municipal officials decide what steps to take to prepare for storms and other natural hazards. After this Plan is completed, comprehensive information will be available in one document to help guide those who are making decisions about how to better protect residents,” said Seth Janssen, Whiteside County Emergency Services & Disaster Coordinator.
Developing public information materials, building storm shelters, designing roads, bridges, water supplies and other services to better withstand natural disasters, are some examples of the kind of projects and activities that can reduce storm damages.
While the plan is being developed, at least four Mitigation Committee meetings will be conducted. Interested persons can provide input at these meetings, or submit their comments and questions to their municipal or county representatives.
Public comments will be used to develop a draft plan. After the draft plan is developed, a public forum will be held where the draft plan will be presented for review and comment.
“By identifying the frequency of each natural hazard and their magnitude, projects can be identified to reduce damages caused by these events,” added Janssen.