Somerset County Updating Hazard Mitigation Plan to Reduce Vulnerabilities and Improve Response

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ – Somerset County’s Office of Emergency Management is updating the 2019 Hazard Mitigation Plan for the County and its municipalities. The plan identifies local strengths and weaknesses by focusing on existing and future buildings, infrastructure, and critical facilities that might be impacted by natural disasters and developing projects to harden weak points. Ultimately, the identified and implemented mitigation projects will reduce vulnerability and enable Somerset County to be more resilient to disasters.

“Somerset County has experienced its share of natural and man-made emergencies over the years, and while we’ve responded extremely well, we know we can do better by improving our planning, cooperation, and identifying infrastructure improvements,” said Commissioner Doug Singleterry, liaison to the Office of Emergency Management. “The Hazard Mitigation Plan update process is vital to being ready to mitigate the impact of the next storm, train incident, or even earthquake and we’re asking our residents to help us with the process.”

Residents are asked to assist the planning process by completing the online public input survey or by attending the public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16 at the Emergency Services Training Academy at 402 Roycefield Road in Hillsborough. This survey and public hearing are designed to gather information from around Somerset County to help us better coordinate activities and reduce the risk of injury or property damage. These questions are for information-gathering only and responses will be shared anonymously with municipal, state, federal, and county entities for planning purposes only.

The final 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan update will include a risk assessment to identify hazards that may impact Somerset County and its municipalities, profile relevant hazards and potential consequences, identify assets subject to losses or damage, and estimate any potential losses that could result from each type of hazard. Following the risk assessment, the County will develop a hazard mitigation strategy, including the identification of hazard mitigation goals and a prioritized list of actions designed to reduce losses.

The 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan process ensures the County and participating jurisdictions can continue to access future pre-disaster mitigation funding from FEMA. Examples of grant-eligible projects include home acquisitions or elevations in flood zones, project planning and implementation, local flood control measures, and other mitigation uses.

Visit the Hazard Mitigation Plan for updates and additional information.

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