Ben Hill County reviews Hazard Mitigation Plan updates; planner cites removal of heat hazard and addition of thunderstorm with lightning

Ben Hill County Chairman Steve Taylor called a Dec. 11, 2024 public hearing to order at the Ben Hill County meeting room, 321 Dewey McGlamry Rd, to review proposed updates to the county Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Marcus McConico, SGRC planner, told the Commission the plan is updated every five years and that a prior public hearing had been held. McConico said the most significant changes in the revision are the removal of the Heat Hazard, the addition of Thunderstorm as a hazard (specifically noting lightning), and adjustments to some action items to account for inflation.

Transcript notes indicate there were no public comments during the hearing, and the meeting was then adjourned. The record provided does not state any formal vote, adoption timeline, or next procedural step for the updated plan.

Why this matters: the Hazard Mitigation Plan guides county preparedness and project priorities for reducing risks from natural hazards. Removing a listed hazard or adding a new one changes what risks local planning and grant applications may prioritize, and inflation-driven adjustments can alter the cost and timing of proposed actions.

The transcript does not specify dollar amounts, affected projects, or an adoption schedule for the revised plan. It also does not state whether the county will submit the update to any regional or state authority for review. Those details were not provided in the hearing record.