Thurmont adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

(12/21) Thurmont joined other Frederick County jurisdictions on December 19 by adopting the Frederick County Hazard Mitigation Plan. Dennis Dudley, with the Department of Energy Preparedness presented the Frederick County Hazard Mitigation Plan to the Thurmont Commissioners during their December 12 meeting, and Commissioners voted on it the following week.

The creation and adoption of a hazard mitigation plan makes towns eligible for pre-disaster or post-disaster funding through FEMA to help with natural disaster recovery in a community. Frederick County decided to make a multi-jurisdictional plan in order to help minimize some of the burden of municipalities and smaller communities. All municipalities included within the plan were involved in the process of creating and writing it.

The mitigation plan covers all hazards that would be expected in Frederick County, including tornados, floods, blizzards etc. The plan can also help mitigate issues within the community such as stream bank restoration that can help contain flooding on local streams. Adopting the plan will make it easier for Thurmont, and other communities, to receive funds after emergencies. The creation of the plan consisted of a four step process, including: collection of data on each community, assessment of the risk of likeliness for such events to occur again, development of a mitigation plan, and finally, implementation of the plan while continuing to monitor its progress.

Thurmont unanimously voted to adopt the Mitigation Plan. Thurmont’s Chief Administrative Officer, Jim Humerick, assured the Commissioners that he believes everything was done in the best interest of the communities. The decision to adopt the plan was a smart move for the community.