N.H. GETS SECURITY FUNDS:

New Hampshire recently received a $360,000 Homeland Security grant to improve the state’s natural disaster preparedness. The money will go to nine regional planning commissions, which will form pre-emptive natural disaster plans for at least 36 communities. For example, if a town expects a flooding problem, the money will help a commission “plan ahead, see what it is and do something about it” before disaster strikes, Gov. Craig Benson said. This may involve expanding drainage systems or relocating buildings in flood-prone areas, officials said. Each regional planning commission will receive $40,000 for studies beginning July 1 and lasting 18 months, said Michael Poirier, planning chief for the state Bureau of Emergency Management. Such pre-disaster plans prove to be more cost-effective than dealing with natural disasters after the fact, said Kenneth L. Horak, acting regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They “really do pay off in the long run,” he said. New Hampshire is the first New England state to receive a grant from a federal $150 million pre-disaster mitigation fund.