RADFORD -- Geography professors Bernd Kuennecke, Charles Manyara and geology professor Skip Watts are teaming up with the New River Valley Planning District on a $266,666 FEMA grant-funded project to revise the multi-jurisdictional New River Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan.

New River Valley communities who will benefit from the plan include Pulaski, Giles, Montgomery and Floyd counties, Radford City and the towns of Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Floyd, Dublin, Glen Lyn, Narrows, Pearisburg, Pembroke, Pulaski and Rich Creek.

During the plan's revision process Kuennecke, Manyara, Watts and New River Planning District staff will identify and analyze community vulnerabilities for hazards such as flooding, ice and snow storms, severe thunderstorms, tornados, passing coastal storms, wild fires, landslides and rockfalls, dam failures and drought and its associated drinking water issues.

“The completion of this project is important so that we are better prepared to deal with potential future natural disasters in this area,” said Kuennecke (right), the senior principal investigator for the project.

The researchers will perform a risk assessment and capability assessment, and then evaluate mitigation strategies from the current plan and develop new mitigation strategies. The team will work with participating municipalities and elected officials.

The original plan was approved on May 16, 2005 and will expire May 16, 2010.