News

Local human services agencies will meet to review, improve disaster response

Oct. 9, 2024:

Representatives from human services agencies, government departments, and local municipalities will gather Friday, October 11, in Corning to review and discuss a disaster response and recovery plan.

The meeting, originally scheduled to be held prior to the August 9 flash flood that impacted western Steuben County, will focus on the area’s most recent natural disaster. More than 75 officials and non-profit organizations are registered to attend.

Participants will review the current disaster response plan, discuss what worked well, what needs to be done differently in the future, and how to best address long-term recovery efforts.

The plan was developed for the community following Hurricane Fred in 2021, which devastated many of the same areas as Tropical Storm Debby.

United Way of the Southern Tier partnered with officials in Steuben, Schuyler, and Chemung counties and the Southern Tier-Finger Lakes Community Organizations Active in Disaster to bring in experts to examine the 2021 local response and recovery efforts, document what took place, and develop a plan using what was learned to better address residents’ needs, both short- and long-term, following future disasters.

Attendees at Friday’s meeting will learn how the plan is constructed and evaluate how lessons learned from the August 2024 disaster might better guide local government and non-profit human service agencies in the next disaster.

United Way of the Southern Tier is hosting the gathering at the Radisson Hotel Corning. For more information, please call 607-936-3753.