The draft version of the Bay County Local Mitigation Strategy Plan for 2025 is available to view on the county's website at https://www.baycountyfl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/16798/BAY-COUNTY-LMS-Plan-Chapter-1----010725. Residents who wish to provide comments on the plan can email Michele Moore with K2 Project Management Solutions, LLC / CDR Maguire at mmoore@k2pms.com.
The objective of the Local Mitigation Strategy Plan is to make Bay County and the community as a “whole”, safer and more disaster resilient. Understanding hazard mitigation at the local level enables the community to lessen vulnerability to the various threats and hazards, which, in turn, better supports economic and social development. Through effective hazard mitigation programming, business disruption is lessened, and governmental financial outlay reduced. By addressing hazards in advance using mitigation initiatives, businesses and citizens recover and achieve normalcy sooner following a catastrophic event. The strategy is multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation document achieved through a coordinated, cooperative planning effort. Developing and maintaining the plan is extremely important to the Bay County community because of rapid population growth, seasonal population (tourism) influx, and expanding development. These factors contribute significantly to community vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters.
The Local Mitigation Strategy Plan is a combined effort of the Local Mitigation Strategy Working Group through identifying and executing mitigation goals and objectives including mitigation initiatives based on current community hazards and vulnerabilities. The Plan identifies mitigation initiatives that are cost effective, technically feasible and environmentally sound.
Included in the new plan is a complete revision of the Threat Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment due to devastating events experienced by Bay County during Hurricanes Michael in 2018, Sally in 2020, Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, and the Chipola Complex Wildfires in 2022.