By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
HILLSBOROUGH — Hillsborough will be eligible for grants to assist in dealing with natural disasters, now that it has joined other Somerset County municipalities in accepting a countywide hazard mitigation plan.
The Somerset County Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan allows Hillsborough and other communities to apply for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Township Committee unanimously accepted the plan by resolution Tuesday.
”This is like a master plan that each township is involved in,” Assistant Engineer Tom Belanger said. “You have to have this kind of master plan to apply for the grants.”
Mr. Belanger said the grants include opportunities to retrofit emergency shelters, place environmentally hazardous properties into open space and make other improvements to better prepare for such natural disasters.
Each community in the county is required to have a master plan to deal with these hazards, Township Clerk Kevin Davis said, but instead of requiring the municipalities to pay for it themselves, Somerset County offered its own services to move forward.
The hazard plan, which was created over 18 months by a special committee, assesses the possibilities of all kinds of natural hazards. These possible disasters, including hurricanes and wind damage, were categorized in a list of what happens most to least frequently.
Mr. Belanger said that Hillsborough has been listed as being most at risk for flooding.
”We looked at many (types of disasters), but mostly focused on floods,” he said.
With the official action taken to approve the hazard plan, Hillsborough can begin to apply for the many FEMA grants available to municipalities in the state.
”In order to qualify for the flood grants (and others), we must act officially,” Mayor Anthony Ferrera said of the approval.

