Gwinnett County, 17 cities adopt hazardous mitigation plan to boost disaster preparedness

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– Gwinnett County and 17 of its cities have approved a new hazard mitigation plan designed to help communities better prepare for  future natural disasters. 

The multi-jurisdictional plan was adopted by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and the cities of Auburn, Berkeley Lake, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Loganville, Mulberry, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Snellville, Sugar Hill, Suwanee and town of Braselton.

The plan identifies potential hazards such as floods,  severe storms, and other natural threats, and  creates a framework to help local officials make decisions that protect lives and property. It also provides a strategy for implementing future projects including installing generators at critical facilities, improving stormwater infrastructure and expanding public education on emergency preparedness.  

By encouraging local governments to integrate mitigation into daily decisions regarding land use, floodplain management and site design, the plan aims to reduce the costly expenses associated with future disasters.

“History shows that the physical, financial and emotional losses caused by disasters can be reduced significantly by effective hazard mitigation planning,” said Office of Emergency Management Director Michael Shaw. “No single jurisdiction can tackle this alone, and we’re proud to partner with our cities and other local agencies to build a safer, more resilient community.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reviews and approves state, tribal and local hazard mitigation plans, which are required as a condition for states and communities to receive certain types of disaster assistance, including funding for mitigation projects. Local mitigation plans must be approved at least once every five years.

For more information about the mitigation efforts, visit GwinnettCounty.com/HazardMitigation or contact EMA@GwinnettCounty.com.