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ABOUT HAZARD MITIGATION
Hazard
mitigation ensures that fewer Americans and fewer communities
become victims of natural and technological disasters.
It is sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate
the long-term risk and impact to people and property
from natural and technological hazards. It results in
safer communities that resist becoming victims when
disaster strikes. Mitigation measures reduce risk for
individuals, small and large businesses, and critical
service locations such as hospitals, public safety facilities
and utility stations.
Examples
of mitigation include:
- Promoting
sound land use planning based on known community hazards
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Adopting, and enforcing building codes and standards
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Using fire-retardant materials in new construction
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Buying flood insurance to protect personal property
and belongings
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Securing shelves and water heaters to walls
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Elevating structures above the floodplain
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Retrofitting highway overpasses to withstand earthquakes
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Strengthening parapet walls on old masonry buildings
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Anchoring bookcases in schools, libraries, and offices
Current
dollars spent on mitigation significantly reduce the
demand for large amounts of future dollars when natural
disasters strike. This reduces economic disaster, which
often accompanies the natural hazard event through destruction
of property, loss or interruption of jobs, and closing
or disabling of businesses.
TO
CONTACT THE STATE HAZARD MITIGATION OFFICE
Kathleen
Lear
HAZARD
REDUCTION SUCCESS STORIES - "NEW JERSEY
REDUCES DAMAGE FROM TROPICAL STORM FLOYD"
Full
Document (pdf - 1219k) - Produced
by the NJOEM and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
after Tropical Storm Floyd, these stories illustrate
some of the ways that people, industry and government
in New Jersey reduced potential damage from this devastating
storm. Some solutions are “hard” - like
pumping stations; others are “soft” - such
as environmental approaches to control flood damages.
Others rely on common sense. Some projects cost millions,
some cost next to nothing.
MITIGATION
GRANT PROGRAMS AND PROJECT FUNDING APPLICATIONS
HAZARD
MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM - The Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to States and local
governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation
measures after a major disaster declaration.
The purpose of the program is to reduce the loss of
life and property due to natural disasters and to enable
mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate
recovery from a disaster.
Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program funding is only available in
States following a Presidential disaster declaration.
Eligible applicants are state and local governments,
Indian tribes or other tribal organizations, certain
private non-profit organization.
Individual
homeowners and businesses may not apply directly to
the program; however a community may apply on their
behalf. Projects must provide a long-term solution
to a problem, for example, elevation of a home to reduce
the risk of flood damages as opposed to buying sandbags
and pumps to fight the flood. In addition, a project's
potential savings must be more than the cost of implementing
the project. Funds may be used to protect either public
or private property or to purchase property that has
been subjected to, or is in danger of, repetitive damage.
FLOOD
MITIGATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - FMA provides
funding to help States and communities reduce or eliminate
the long-term risk of flood damage
to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures
insurable under the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP). There are three types of grants
available under FMA: Planning, Project, and Technical
Assistance Grants.
FMA
Planning Grants are available to help
States and communities develop Flood Mitigation
Plans. FMA Project Grants are available to help
States and NFIP participating communities implement
measures to reduce flood losses. Communities
receiving FMA Planning and Project Grants must
be participating in the NFIP. Examples
of eligible FMA projects include: elevation, acquisition
(“buy-out”), or relocation of NFIP-insured
structures.
FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Brochure
(pdf - 66k)
PRE-DISASTER
MITIGATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - FEMA
has long promoted disaster-resistant construction and
retrofit of facilities that are vulnerable to hazards
in order to reduce potential damages due to a hazard
event. Through the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000,
Congress approved creation of a national Pre-disaster
Hazard Mitigation program to provide a funding mechanism
that is not dependent on a Presidential disaster declaration.
This new program builds on the experience gained from
previous community-based disaster mitigation grants,
the HMGP, and other mitigation initiatives.
MITIGATION-RELATED
INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES OFFERED BY THE FEDERAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
MITIGATION-RELATED
LINKS
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