Releases & Information

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Clay County Prepares for Natural Hazard Events

Flora, IL (March 2, 2026) — Clay County will update its hazard mitigation plan to reduce the

damages caused by severe weather such as thunderstorms, floods, snow and ice storms, and

tornados, among other events. This plan and the process to update it will be funded through a

grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The Plan describes the natural hazard events that have impacted the County and identifies

activities and projects to reduce the risk to our residents and infrastructure,” said Steve Lewis,

Flora-Clay County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator. “By having an

updated hazard mitigation plan, the County and its participating jurisdictions will remain eligible

for federal funds to carry out these projects and activities,” he added.

The Clay County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will hold its first meeting on

Wednesday, March 18, at 1:00 P.M. The meeting will be at the Clay County Health

Department, 601 E. 12 th St., in Flora. The meeting is open to the public.

The Planning Committee includes representatives from the County, their municipalities,

townships, school districts, fire protection districts, and healthcare services, as well as

technical partners and other stakeholders. Meetings of this committee will be conducted over

the next year as working sessions so that any interested residents can attend and ask

questions. The purpose of these working sessions is to gather and discuss information that will

be used to update the Plan.

“This mitigation plan is different from our County’s emergency response plan because it

focuses on ways to reduce and prevent damages before they occur,” added Lewis.

Contact information:

Steve Lewis, ESDA Coordinator

618-662-8211

floraesda@florail.us