Jones County has been fortunate recently with dangerous storms dissipating or changing course before causing severe damage.
In September of2024, Jones County was in the bullseye of the rapidly approaching Helene until it took a turn toward South Carolina, where it wreaked havoc for hundreds of miles. Those areas hit are still struggling to rebuild with the help of FEMA and other agencies.
But for that unexpected turn, the catastrophic damage would have hit here.
Jones County’s first Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan meeting was held April 3 for the purpose of updating the county’s plan to survive and rebuild if a disaster, whether natural or man-made, happens here.
The plan is a combined effort with Gray and Jones County and is required to be eligible for any federal or state disaster relief funds.
The April 3 meeting was led by Greg Boike, director of planning and public administration for the Middle Georgia Regional Commission. In addition to Boike, MGRC Environmental and Land Use Planner Alex Smith and GEMA Hazard Mitigation Planning Specialist Raymond Pacheco were also in attendance.
The most recent update for the plan was in 2020, and the meeting started with the review of that plan. Boike said hazard mitigation is an effort to reduce or eliminate longterm risk to human life and property. The goal is also to mitigate economic and social impacts.
The director said the plan is intended to be a roadmap for making decisions when disaster happens to ensure all available resources are quickly identified and utilized efficiently.
“A good plan will create a safer, more resilient community and reduce recovery time,” he said.
Boike noted that having a plan is a good investment. He said every $1 invested in a disaster relief plan saves $6 of clean-up and rebuilding costs.
Disaster mitigation plans for cities and counties have been mandated since 2000 to be eligible for state and federal programs, grants and flood assistance. Boike said the first question asked when applying for assistance is “Do you have a hazard mitigation plan?” and the plans must be updated every five years.
The plan identifies hazards, evaluates risks and threats, sets goals and objectives and develops action plans.
The public is invited and encouraged to participate in the development of the plan. The actual PDMP document will be written by the MGRC, and the deadline for submission of the plan is January 2026.
Bioke said everyone who attends the public meetings is considered a stakeholder, and all are encouraged to provide their feedback and input.
“Everyone in the room has a unique perspective that is important for the planning process,” he said.
The stakeholders meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. in the Charlotte Wilson Conference Room at the Government Center.
