Putnam County Updates Hazard Preparedness Plan

From the Putnam County Executive

Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell announced that the county has updated its preparedness plan to best protect lives and property throughout the county in the event of an emergency.

The county submitted the 2020 update of its All-Hazard Mitigation Plan to the state on December 18. Officials from the county, towns and villages throughout Putnam worked together all year – frequently via Zoom meetings -- to put together a plan that addresses current problem areas and anticipates future issues.

“We can’t stop disaster from striking, but Putnam County residents can be assured that we are prepared,” County Executive Odell said. “This plan gives us a strategy for how to handle whatever Mother Nature throws at us and more.”

The county’s original Hazard Mitigation Plan was created in 2015 and addressed what to do in the case of emergencies including extreme storms, flooding, earthquakes, wildfire and terrorism. The updated 2020 plan, added plans to address disease, drought and harmful algal blooms, which struck 15 lakes in the county in 2019, said Bob Lipton, Deputy Commissioner of Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services.

“We are better prepared than we’ve ever been,” Deputy Commissioner Lipton said. “We have to be. Storms are stronger and more frequent than they have been in the past. The best protection is the work you do in advance. We are cutting trees back further to prevent road closures and power outages from fallen trees. We are managing debris in storm drains to prevent flooding and we are removing road hazards to ensure that critical facilities, like Putnam Hospital Center, remain open and accessible to our residents.”

The state required the updated plan in order for the county to qualify for certain emergency grants. If, as expected, the state approves the 500-plus page plan, it will go to the FEMA for approval.