Township Adopts County's Hazard Mitigation Plan

With the exception of last year's tornadoes and hailstorms, Macomb Township boasts few natural or man-made hazards. 

However, should such hazards threaten the safety of Macomb residents, the township's response will now be guided by the recently adopted 2010 Macomb County Hazard Mitigation Plan.

On the recommendation of Fire Chief Robert Phillips, who also serves as the township's emergency manager, the board of trustees adopted the plan at its Wednesday meeting.

A hazard mitigation plan is developed every 10 years by the county's emergency management team based on input from each municipality.

Roberts said as the township's emergency manager, he has been involved with the development of the plan for the last 18 months.

The plan itself, which is several hundred pages in length, "identifies those natural and man-caused hazards that pose a threat to the community, ranks them based on their potential threat to the people and economy, and recommends mitigation projects to eliminate or reduce their impact," according to the Macomb County website.

"Hazards" addressed in the document include terrorism, hailstorms, lightning, tornadoes, ice and sleet storms, nuclear attacks, wildfires and more. For Macomb Township specifically, the plan identifies floodplains that threaten area residences and roads and the need for tornado shelters in the vicinity of trailer parks.

The plan has already been adopted by the county and state. By adopting the plan, Macomb Township has ensured its eligibility for federal funding.

A copy of the plan is available as a PDF with this article.