Figuring that storms are as inevitable as death and taxes a North Country planning group will be looking at ways to minimize the impact of bad weather on the economy.
“You know we can’t predict the weather but maybe we can be prepared for what it might bring us,” said Patricia Garvin, the economic development coordinator for the North Country Council.
In June the council got a $300,000 grant from the federal government to try to figure out ways to keep a major storm – such as Hurricane Irene – from damaging the North Country’s economy.
Garvin says the two-year project will be working with businesses and towns to help them figure out what they can do to keep from being hurt by a storm. It could be as simple as duplicating records but these can be things nobody thinks about until it is too late.
The funds – awarded in June - came from the federal Economic Development Administration while Public Service of New Hampshire has promised about $75,000 in in-kind assistance.