Jo Daviess County Plans All Hazards Mitigation Update Using FEMA Grant

Folks across the Tri-States are no strangers to rough weather. From heavy snow and ice in the winter to flooding, severe storms, droughts, and tornadoes in warmer months, Mother Nature keeps everyone on their toes. Add in the possibility of man-made disasters, and it’s clear why planning ahead matters.

That’s why Jo Daviess County officials are updating their All Hazards Mitigation Plan, a long-term roadmap designed to reduce damage before disasters even strike. The update is being funded through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which helps counties stay eligible for funding to carry out safety and infrastructure improvements.

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According to the recent news release, the first meeting for this Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will be held Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, at 1 PM at the Elizabeth Community Building, 402 West Street. The public is encouraged to attend since the meetings are structured as working sessions, allowing residents to learn about local risks, ask questions, and offer input.

A mitigation plan is different from the County’s emergency response plan. While the emergency response plan focuses on immediate actions during a disaster; things like dispatching first responders, opening shelters, and coordinating communications, the mitigation plan is about preparing in advance. It's goal is to reduce damage before it ever occurs. This includes identifying flood-prone areas, reinforcing critical buildings, improving drainage systems, protecting current infrastructure, and ensuring future development doesn’t increase risk.

The planning committee gathers representatives from county and local governments, schools, fire districts, EMS, health care providers, and technical partners. Over the course of the next year, the committee will review past hazard events, assess ongoing risks, and prioritize actions that will make the community more resilient to natural and man-made hazards. The last time this plan was updated was in 2020 and it states, "The five year update of this Plan must be completed on or before January 12th, 2026."

Disasters may not be avoidable, but sometimes the damage they cause is. By taking the time now to plan and prepare, Jo Daviess County is working to make sure future storms and emergencies don’t hit the community harder than they should. For the public, this is an open invitation to help protect and prepare your local towns across Jo Daviess.