BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As Mother Nature does not discriminate, City Council has approved the 2024 Lehigh Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Adopting the more-than-450-page-report, effective for five years, puts the city in place for potential federal financial assistance if a disaster, natural or human-caused, was to happen.
“Section 322 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires the development and submission of such a plan to the President of the United States for approval," reads a Feb. 10 letter signed by Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds and city Police Chief Michelle Kott and addressed to City Council.
"And that the approved plan be adopted as a prerequisite to receiving post-disaster hazard mitigation grant program funds.”
Bethlehem’s potential funding sources include:
- Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
- Homeland Security Grant Program
- Emergency Management Performance Grant Program
- Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program
- Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities Program
Wide range of measures
For Bethlehem specifically, the city’s annex to the plan features 18 mitigating actions of varying priority and cost.
They include flood protection measures at Monocacy Park along Illick’s Mill Road and to building upon mutual-aid partnerships with similar area agencies.
Included charts show at least some progress on four of the 18 items continued from 2018.
In place to minimize the impact of disasters, preserve and enhance environmental assets, and bolster emergency-response measures, the plan covers 25 natural and nonnatural hazards.
They include things and diverse as winter storms, drought, earthquakes and sinkholes, dam failure, structural collapse, utility interruption and terrorism.
Also included in the newest plan are two additions to cyberterrorism and gas/liquid pipelines.
The Lehigh Valley drafted previous mitigation plans in 2006, 2013 and 2018.
Planning a plan
The plan was developed in partnership with Lehigh and Northampton County emergency services alongside other county departments, municipal officials and citizens.
Updates along the way to this point were shared at regular meetings with a steering committee of county, state and federal emergency management officials; 15 planning team meetings; three virtual public surveys; a dedicated webpage; and a virtual public meeting.
"The Planning Team reviewed geospatial data for critical facilities in the planning area to assess the risk posed to these facilities by the different hazards. Where possible, the financial toll of hazards impacting critical facilities in the planning area was also assessed.”2024 Lehigh Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan
“To analyze these hazards, the Planning Team reviewed local, state, and national datasets and relevant scientific literature to develop a detailed understanding of their frequency, magnitude, and other characteristics,” the plan reads.
“Additionally, the Planning Team reviewed geospatial data for critical facilities in the planning area to assess the risk posed to these facilities by the different hazards.
“Where possible, the financial toll of hazards impacting critical facilities in the planning area was also assessed.”
Bethlehem city staff — including fire, public works, health bureau and zoning office personnel — took part in the municipal participation portion of the planning process.
Community stakeholders involved include Wind Creek Casino, Lehigh University, and various neighborhoods and churches around the city.
The public was engaged through email, newsletter and social media campaigns.
City contacts for the hazard mitigation plan include Fire Chief Reich reachable at email address mreich@bethlehem-pa.gov, and Craig Baer, deputy fire chief and deputy emergency management coordinator, cbaer@bethlehem-pa.gov.
Relevant points of contact with the county include Kevin McGowan of the Lehigh County Office of Emergency Management, kevinmcgowan@lehighcounty.org, and Thomas E. Guth Jr. of the Northampton County Office of Emergency Management, tguth@ncem-pa.org.
