If you were in Branford on Aug. 27, 2011, you know the answer to the following question: Have you ever experienced or been impacted by a disaster?

That's one of several questions in a current on-line survey in which Town Engineer Janice Plaziak hopes many residents will participate.

The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) and its municipalities, including Branford, are working together to prepare a multi-jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan will identify and assess natural hazard risks (flooding, winter storms, hurricanes,etc.) and provide ways to best minimize or manage those risks. Answers and opinions provided by survey results will help build the plan.

The final plan will be a regional plan, but it will also be specific to Branford, said Plaziak.

"The purpose of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is to become compliant with FEMA requirements and identify the town’s natural hazards and develop a risk assessment. This will result in better emergency management during an event as well as identify projects that could potentially reduce risks in the community. With a plan in place, the community can prioritize projects and the Town will also be eligible to obtain FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Funds if a disaster is declared," said Plaziak.

Plaziak noted there will be public outreach meetings sometime after January 2013, but right now, "...people can become involved by responding to the survey, where they can give their opinions and provide information to guide the plan."

The survey can be found at http://www.scrcog.org/regional-hazard-mitigation.html

There is also a link to the survey through the Town of Branford website, under "News and Events."