Findlay City Council passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to adopt an update to the Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The updated plan needed to be adopted before FEMA would release some grant funding for flood mitigation projects that are in the works.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan is a comprehensive strategy designed to reduce the risks and impacts of natural disasters in Hancock County and Findlay, as well as surrounding villages and townships.

The plan, updated every 5 years, outlines goals, actions, and strategies to protect lives, property, and critical infrastructure from hazards such as flooding, tornadoes, severe storms, winter storms, dam failures, drought, and earthquakes.

The City of Findlay anticipates breaking ground this fall on the final three major flood mitigation projects: the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, Phase 2 Benching, and the Eagle Creek Floodwater Storage Basin.

Together with Phase 1 Benching, the city says the projects will reduce floodwater levels in a 100-year flood event by three feet in downtown Findlay, removing more than 2,000 parcels from the floodplain.

The city says this will significantly reduce flood risk for thousands of properties and lower, or eliminate, the need for flood insurance.