Reports & Studies

Hazard mitigation planning seeks to reduce the instances where the worlds of violent natural phenomenon and the human environment intersect. By reducing the risk of personal injury and property damage, a community can lessen the effects of a “disaster” when one of these events crosses paths with people.

Planning is the cornerstone to successful hazard mitigation efforts. Citizens, local government, and private interests with proactive policies can reduce the man-made environment in harms way. Benefits realized by implementing hazard mitigation measures include:

• Saving lives by removing people from hazard prone situations
• Limiting property damage by regulating development in hazard areas
• Saving money for taxpayers by reducing the need for services during a disaster
• Speeding disaster recovery and post-disaster relief funds
• Demonstrating a strong commitment to the health and safety of the community.

Relocating people, institutions, and businesses from hazard prone areas saves property and lives. Removal of the structures means that there is less to pay for disaster recovery or for services during an event. Post-event, recovery crews will have less to do because there will be less damage. This speeds the recovery process.

Both state and federal governments made the development of a hazard mitigation plan a requirement for any local government requesting mitigation grant funding.

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