The Town of Fairfield is pleased to partner with the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) in the update of the Region’s Multijurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP).

The Town and MetroCOG are hosting a public meeting on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 6:00 pm for Fairfield residents and businesses to learn about the plan and share their knowledge of, experiences with, and concerns about natural hazards, vulnerabilities and opportunities for mitigation. The meeting will take place at the Rotary Room of Fairfield’s Main Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road.

An up-to-date NHMP is a requirement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for certain types of disaster assistance. The current plan was approved in August 2019 and will expire in August 2024. In addition to the Town of Fairfield, the plan covers the City of Bridgeport and the towns of Easton, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull.

The purpose of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) is to reduce the loss of life, personal injury and damage to property, infrastructure, and natural, cultural and economic resources from a natural disaster. The Plan emphasizes actions that can be implemented now to reduce or prevent damage from a future natural disaster. The assessments and evaluations will be based on extensive data collection and outreach efforts to obtain information on the region’s physical setting and the occurrence, frequency, duration, and vulnerability to existing and probable hazards. The update will identify significant changes in risks, vulnerabilities, capabilities, and mitigation actions that have developed since approval of the previous plan in 2019.

Public participation and community input are crucial to developing a plan that accurately reflects local values and priorities, promotes awareness of risks, and identifies actions towards a safer, more resilient region for all communities and stakeholders.

MetroCOG is providing a range of diverse opportunities and methods for communities throughout the region to participate in the planning process. In addition to the September 6, 2023 meeting, here are additional ways to participate:

• On-line survey at https://bit.ly/nhmp-2024. A paper version will be provided upon request.
• Comments: visit https://bit.ly/nhmp-comments.
• Updates will be posted to www.ctmetro.org and social media (https://www.linkedin.com/company/metrocog/).

For more information, please contact:

MetroCOG’s Deputy Director Patrick Carleton at 203-366-5405 x 26 or pcarleton@ctmetro.org