UMass Amherst to Host Public Forum to Discuss Draft Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan on March 15

AMHERST, Mass. – Officials at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are holding a public forum on Friday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discuss a draft plan for dealing with natural hazards, including severe weather such as hurricanes and blizzards, earthquakes and other large-scale natural disasters. The forum at the UMass Amherst Police Department building on East Pleasant Street is an open format event that features a brief presentation of the draft showing every 15 minutes.

The campus Natural Hazard Planning Group created the preliminary plan with assistance from Jamie Caplan Consulting LLC and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

Students, faculty, staff and members of neighboring communities are invited to attend the forum and provide feedback. Members of the planning group will be available to answer questions and listen to community and stakeholder comments. Display boards will be available to help explain the planning process, summarize existing mitigation initiatives, highlight recommended strategies and summarize the complex hazard risk assessment undertaken as a key component of the Campus Hazard Mitigation planning effort.

This planning effort was undertaken to help UMass Amherst assess the risks the university community faces from natural hazards such as severe storms, identify actions that can be taken to prevent damage to property and loss of life, and prioritize funding for mitigation efforts. A mitigation action is any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards.

This hazard mitigation plan was developed with grant funding support by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in conjunction with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.