Blair County Hazard Mitigation Plan

Overview

This document is the cover and table of contents for the Blair County 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The plan is titled "BRAVE: Blair Resilience: Addressing Vulnerability and Exposure. " It serves as a strategic guide for the county to identify risks, assess community capabilities, and implement strategies to reduce the impact of natural hazards.

Key Sections

The document is structured into eight main sections, covering the entire planning lifecycle:

• Introduction: Establishes the background, purpose, and scope of the plan.
• Community Profile: Details the geography, demographics, land use, and development patterns of Blair County.
• Planning Process: Summarizes the public participation, stakeholder engagement, and multi-jurisdictional coordination involved in creating the plan.
• Risk Assessment: Identifies specific hazards (such as floods, storms, etc. ) and analyzes the vulnerability of the population and infrastructure.
• Capability Assessment: Evaluates the current resources, policies, and abilities of local agencies to mitigate hazards.
• Mitigation Strategy: Outlines specific goals, objectives, and an action plan to address identified risks.
• Plan Maintenance: Describes how the plan will be monitored, evaluated, and updated in the future.
• Plan Adoption: Details the formal approval process for the document.

Appendices and Data

The plan includes several appendices to support the main text, including:

• Bibliography
• Meeting & Participation Documentation: Records of public involvement.
• Flood Vulnerability Maps: Localized maps for municipalities.
• Critical Facilities: Data on essential infrastructure.
• Hazus Methodology and Results Report: Technical data analysis, including regional population and building value statistics.

Context

The plan is a regulatory requirement for communities to maintain eligibility for certain FEMA grant programs. The 2018 update ensures that Blair County's strategies remain current with the latest risk data and community changes.