The City of Bellingham is participating in a countywide process to update the Whatcom County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. The planning process is being managed by the Whatcom County Sheriff Office’s Division of Emergency Management and public input is requested.
The purpose of the Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is to identify the types of natural hazards that impact a jurisdiction, assess each jurisdiction’s vulnerability to those hazards, and to formulate mitigation strategies that will lessen the severity of natural disasters by protecting human life and property. The plan must be updated every 5 years and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for those jurisdictions included in the plan to remain eligible for federal funding for hazard mitigation projects.
The City of Bellingham’s portion of the plan includes specific mitigation measures for a variety of potential hazards including earthquakes, flooding, tsunami, severe winter weather and windstorms.
For more information about the plan update, please visit the City’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan webpage. We are currently soliciting public feedback on the 2016 plan for incorporation into the 2021 plan update. If you would like to provide comment on the plan, please do so via the public comment form available on Whatcom County’s website by April 30, 2021.
