Houston approves plan to prepare for disaster

PERRY -- It was no accident that Houston County had little trouble from all the rain that fell in December, Fire Chief Jimmy Williams said Tuesday.

Williams, the county's emergency management director, said at the Houston County Commission meeting that the county's Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan kept flooding to a minimum. Commissioners approved an updated version of the plan.

Williams said he only knows of one road lane that had to be closed as a result of the recent rainfall.

"That is the result of this plan," he said.

A key part is the county making a list of areas where flooding has occurred. Public works crews then keep a check on those areas to ensure drainage ditches and pipes are cleaned out. In some cases the county may put in larger pipes.

The plan also includes a list of public facilities and how those might be affected by a disaster.

The county approves a new plan every five years. Williams said emergency and public works officials have been meeting for the past year to come up with the new plan. Most of the changes have involved taking some areas off the list where improvements have eliminated flooding issues. Also, new schools have been added to the plan.

The plan is continuously being examined and changed, Williams said. But he said the county must give official approval every five years so the county can receive emergency management funds in the event of a disaster.

After the meeting, Williams said had it not been for the plan, the county probably would have had moderate flooding in December that would have affected some homes.

To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Houston approves plan to prepare for disaster ."