Douglas County Aims To Be Disaster-Resistant Recently Chosen as FEMA Project Impact "Community"
Release Date: October 5, 2000
Release Number: R9-00-18
» 2000 Region IX News Releases
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Joining a select list of American communities, the County of Douglas has been included by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in its "Project Impact" initiative.
Project Impact is a partnership-based, nationwide effort begun by FEMA in 1997 to help communities lessen the risk of disasters. Partners now include approximately 200 communities and 2,500 business owners nationwide. Douglas County is the fourth Nevada locality, joining Sparks, Las Vegas and Carson City.
With a growing population, the county is extremely vulnerable to floods, wildfires, and other natural calamities. The county government has been proactive in anti-disaster projects, especially in flood mitigation, even before joining Project Impact.
"Douglas County is a very welcome addition to Project Impact," said Martha Whetstone, Regional Director of FEMA Region IX in San Francisco. "Prevention works. Project Impact will help local leaders, business owners, and residents shift their focus from simply responding to disasters to taking advance action."
Since 1997, approximately 200 communities and 2,500 business partners have embraced Project Impact. Instead of waiting for disasters to strike, Project Impact partnerships initiate mentoring, public outreach, and mitigation projects. Preventative strategies have included revising local building and land use codes and passing necessary bond measures. Corporate and community partners assist with money, in-kind services, technical support and labor for projects. FEMA provides technical, administrative and financial support.
In the past 10 years, FEMA has spent more than $25 billion to help repair and reconstruct buildings and infrastructure in disaster-stricken areas. Project Impact's goal is to erase the ceaseless damage-repair-damage cycle through preventive measures, before trouble strikes.
Last Modified: Friday, 21-Nov-2003 08:44:40