Cobb County, Georgia Moves Forward with Hazard Mitigation Planning Efforts During COVID-19 Pandemic

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, even with the COVID-19 pandemic. That is the feeling of both Cobb County, Georgia, and Tennessee-based BOLDplanning as the two recently moved forward with their Hazard Mitigation Planning efforts. After gaining approval from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA), the two came together—virtually—on April 1, 2020, to hold its Hazard Mitigation Kick-off Meeting as previously scheduled.

Around 20 participants, including representatives from all participating Cobb County jurisdictions and the public, were in attendance. With all questions pertaining to local hazard mitigation addressed, the updating of the County’s current, FEMA-approved plan is now officially underway.

“A Hazard Mitigation Plan,” as published on Cobb County’s website, “forms the foundation for a community’s long-term strategy to address disaster losses by identifying actions and projects to reduce or eliminate the impacts that hazards have on a community.”

Further, “Since historic floods devastated Cobb County in 2009, the City of Austell, the City of Powder Springs, and Cobb County government have placed a great deal of emphasis on removing residences out of floodplain areas through the receipt of Federal Hazard Mitigation Grant funding. Without t