By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
DAVIS – Members of the WV Flood Plain Managers Association traveled to Blackwater Falls State Park last week for a conference. Tucker County Flood Plain Manager Charlie Baker said the meetings are important because flood plain management affects everybody.
“Mortgages are tied to it, federal disasters assistance is tied to it,” Baker said. “How it works from the top down is FEMA is at the federal level, and then there is a professional organization – the Association of State Flood Plain Managers. We had the founder here yesterday as our keynote speaker.”
Baker said Tucker County Commission President Lowell Moore actually opened the conference.
“It was great to have a welcoming body here to welcome everyone to Tucker County,” Baker said. “We had FEMA here and an individual with more than 40 years’ experience who came and spoke to the group”
Baker said West Virginia is the only state in the nation that has continuing education tied to its flood plain managers so they can get training, which the association helps them get.
“This makes the flood plain managers better prepared to help their constituents,” Baker said. “We do that in hopes that everybody is better prepared for a flooding event. Our goals are to train people – not just our flood plain managers but the people. We want the flood plain managers to be able to do outreach.”
Baker said the group meets annually at Blackwater Falls.
“We also offer courses through the year with the WV Department of Homeland Security,” Baker said. “The requirement for continuing education is for six hours.”
Baker offered kudos to Parsons for getting their CRS.
“It’s a lot of work,” Baker said. “Jason went above and beyond what he was required to do to provide that service to the citizens of Parsons. It’s a big undertaking.”
