7/16/26
Mitigating Damages Caused by Severe Weather and Other Hazards
Thursday, July 16, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mitigating Damages Caused by Severe Weather and Other Hazards
EFFINGHAM, Ill. — Identifying projects and activities that can protect Effingham County residents, property, and critical infrastructure from natural and man-made hazards will be discussed when the Effingham County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee meets at the Effingham County Emergency Operations Center, 311 West Miracle Ave., in Effingham, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 30.
“Severe weather frequently damages buildings, crops, roads, and other critical infrastructure in this area. The County has been a part of seven emergency and major federal disaster declarations through 2025. In addition, there have been at least five fatalities, 16 injuries, and $55.3 million in verified property and insured crop damages caused by hazard events in the County,” said Effingham County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator, Pamela Jacobs. “The goal of this planning process is to identify preventative steps that can be taken before a hazard event occurs to protect public health and reduce the dollar damages.”
This Committee began work in January 2026 to update the County’s All Hazards Mitigation Plan. Committee meetings are open to the public.
“Other emergency plans are directed at responding during and after a storm or disaster strikes. With this Plan, we will identify actions that can be taken to reduce damages caused by natural and man-made hazards for each participating jurisdiction before they occur. This Plan also helps assure each participating jurisdiction is eligible to receive federal grant money for mitigation projects,” added Jacobs.
Building community safe rooms, acquiring flood prone properties, resolving drainage issues, retrofitting critical infrastructure to better withstand hazard events, installing back-up power supplies, and developing public information materials are a few of the mitigation projects more commonly proposed in Illinois.
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