Berrien County Emergency Management officials kicked off a new project this week aimed at protecting the community from disasters. A plan known as the Hazard Mitigation Plan will be updated as a result of this project.

Members of the community can help with the plan by filling out a survey. The link to the survey is found on a newly launched website named BerrienPREPARED.com. The survey will be open until July 1, 2021.

“Our survey asks the community to identify where the worst and most frequent spots are after disaster events happen in Berrien County,” said Captain Rockey Adams, the Berrien County Emergency Management Coordinator. “This can be anything from places where water covers the road after a heavy storm, to worries about impacts caused by high winds,” said Captain Adams.

After the Emergency Management team identifies these common problems within the county, they plan to develop projects aimed at defending against future harm. The survey asks for the public’s opinion on what types of projects can help defend their community.

Captain Adams stated, “This is a great opportunity for the public to let us know, down to the neighborhood level, where our biggest problems are and what we can do to help. It is important for us to get input from business leaders, government leaders, and anyone in the community who know their towns best.”

Hazard Mitigation is the practice of assuming that disaster hazards will happen and finding a way to make the damage less. Many mitigation project examples involve constructing barriers for flood waters, improving storm drainage systems to prevent floods, or hardening critical facilities from high winds and tornados. More information about Hazard Mitigation can be found on FEMMA’s website.

The direct link for the Berrien County survey but it can also be found on found on BerrienPREPARED.com.