Improvements to low water crossings and Black River levees are among the needs to be included in an updated disaster mitigation plan for Butler County.
The plan helps establish priorities and a framework for improvements that could help reduce damage from natural disasters.
Communities are required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to maintain the plan in order to qualify for certain federal assistance dollars.
This includes tornado safe room grants and some flood buyout programs, which help cities and counties purchase frequently flooded homes and businesses from property owners.
"The purpose of the actions through this plan are things that will prevent future damages from future disasters," explained Matt Winters, associate director of the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission. "They have long term and cumulative benefits. The buyouts are a good example of that. They reduce the damage to people's property and a lot of times they even reduce the risk to people's lives."
Many cities have expressed interest in flood buyout programs since the April and May high waters that led to a federal disaster declaration for Missouri, Winters explained.
OFRPC is overseeing the process to update the plan and will submit it to FEMA for approval in August. A final meeting was held Tuesday with community leaders. Those attending included members of Twin Rivers School District, Poplar Bluff Fire Department, Butler County Fire Department and Butler County Emergency Management Agency.
Twin Rivers hopes this is a step that will help the district secure a tornado safe room grant, like those awarded in recent years to Poplar Bluff R-I and Three Rivers College.
A safe room at Broseley would help protect the more than 300 high school students who attend there, and help offset any future costs for additional construction, said Superintendent Jeremy Siebert.
The plan itself is also important for keeping communities safe, especially given the historic flooding in recent months, Siebert said.
None of the school districts which have received safe room grant money, could do so without the disaster mitigation plan, said Winters.
The plan not only lays out mitigation strategies for tornadoes and flooding, but also earthquakes, severe winter weather and other events that could impact Butler County.
Components of the plan include an emphasis on community eduction of natural disaster preparedness and identification of populations that could be especially vulnerable after a disaster, such as those with special health needs.
Communities also have been asked to review the capabilities of their response to a disaster, such as medical facilities and drinking water treatment.
Winters will take the plan before city councils and school district boards for adoption.
The document can also be a resource when applying for other types of grant money, Winters said. It helps show the communities have well thought out priorities for reducing hazards, he explained.