Mitigation Measures: Sound Investments in Disaster Recovery

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Profiling Hazards

It is necessary to document the locations and potential impact from all of the natural hazards that might affect a jurisdiction. The plan should include information on any previous occurrences and the probabilities for future hazard events.

Assessing Vulnerability

A comprehensive vulnerability assessment enables a jurisdiction to describe vulnerabilities to the hazards documented in the hazard profile. This process should include the following:

• 1) Overview — Create an overall summary of each hazard and its potential impact on the community;
• 2) Repetitive loss properties — Identify structures insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which have been damaged repeatedly by flood;
• 3) Identify structures at risk — Describe vulnerabilities by determining the types and numbers of existing and future buildings, infrastructure components and critical facilities located in an identified hazard area. “To access mitigation grant funding, a community needs to have an approved Mitigation Action Plan. The planning process for the MAP is as important as the plan itself.”

In general, vulnerability assessments estimate the potential dollar losses to identified facilities, analyze development trends and provide general descriptions of land uses. Analyzing development trends within a community can identify mitigation options which can be considerations in future land use decisions.

Identification and Analysis of the Mitigation Action

It is necessary to identify and consider an extensive range of specific mitigation actions and projects to reduce or eliminate the effects of individual hazards. There should be particular emphasis on new and existing facilities and infrastructure. The plan needs to address the participation in — and continued compliance with — the NFIP.

Potential Implementation of Mitigation Actions

You must describe how any identified actions will be prioritized, implemented and administered by the local jurisdiction. Prioritization should include specific emphasis on the extent to which benefits are maximized according to a cost benefit review of the proposed projects and associated costs.

Plan Maintenance Process

The plan needs to describe the methods to be used for the scheduling, monitoring, evaluating and updating of the MAP within a five-year cycle.