The city of Covington has received a grant totaling $66,950 to update the city’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. The deadline for the plan’s completion will be March 15, 2011 in order to maintain eligibility for certain categories of Federal Emergency Management Administration funding.

Catherine Cooper, assistant to the mayor, said the plan is an extensive study on all hazards such as storms and other natural disasters. She said, “Our last plan was completed right before Katrina so our plans will change to include new items.”

This plan allows for an entity to be eligible for grants and funds as they become available and helps to plan on ways to mitigate future damages to our community. It was created to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. According to FEMA, some of the projects that can be funded through the program include the following:

• Acquisition of real property for willing sellers and demolition or relocation of buildings to convert the property to open space use;

• Retrofitting structures and facilities to minimize damages from high winds, earthquake, flood, wildfire, or other natural hazards;

• Elevation of flood prone structures;

• Development and initial implementation of vegetative management programs;

• Minor flood control projects that do not duplicate the flood prevention activities of other Federal agencies;

• Localized flood control projects, such as certain ring levees and floodwall systems, that are designed specifically to protect critical facilities; and

• Post-disaster building code related activities that support building code officials during the reconstruction process.

FEMA said that funding these plans and projects through to grant program reduces overall risks to the population and structures, while also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations.

Mitigation can lessen the financial impact on communities, individuals and society as a whole. In fact, FEMA said that a recent study by the Multi-hazard Mitigation Council shows that each dollar spent on mitigation saves society an average of $4.