LAN is currently assisting Aransas County with the development of a FEMA grant application and development of a county-wide Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (HMAP), which includes unincorporated Aransas County and the cities of Rockport, Aransas Pass, and Fulton. LAN is also participating in and providing mitigation planning expertise to coastal counties in conjunction with ‘TCWP’ – the Texas Coastal Watershed Program.

As required by FEMA, the HMAP will address all hazards affecting the County, such as flood, wildfire, and hurricane winds. However, hazard risk is dictated by climate, geographic location, and other factors. Therefore, it is important to prioritize certain hazards and tailor mitigation strategies to address hazard risk of most concern to the local community.

Located in the Coastal Bend region, Aransas County is particularly vulnerable to hazard risk from flood and hurricanes. The County recognizes that flood is an inevitable event for coastal residents and that a long-term floodplain management approach is needed. In development of the HMAP, LAN will work with Aransas County and communities to identify relevant mitigation actions that can be taken to lessen vulnerability to future floods and hurricanes, such as incorporating processes developed by TCWP and within the framework for long-term mitigation and short-term response planning.

Through wise planning, LAN will work with Aransas County to help ensure the Planning Team comes together to develop specific, cost-effective mitigation actions to form a cohesive county-wide HMAP. The effort will engage the public and local stakeholders on the issues of assessing hazard risk and vulnerability, and gain consensus and support for implementation of mitigation measures to reduce losses from future disasters.