Hazard Mitigation Planning News & Events

Planning for Drought Resilience

In March 2016, the President issued a Memorandum and Federal Action Plan on Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience. The Memorandum and the Federal Action Plan establish resilience goals and outline the role of federal agencies in supporting drought resilience. FEMA’s work in mitigation planning and advancing mitigation action supports Goal 3: Drought Planning and Capacity Building.

FEMA has outlined the ways hazard mitigation planning supports long-term drought resilience in a new Planning for Drought Resilience Fact Sheet. This fact sheet describes how hazard mitigation supports drought resilience throughout the planning process, in the risk assessment, and in the mitigation strategy. It also discusses how drought hazard mitigation can be integrated into other planning initiatives.

Tribal Consultation for Update of Policy on Tribal Hazard Mitigation Planning

FEMA is updating its policy that guides how Agency officials interpret regulatory requirements in their review and approval of tribal mitigation plans. This updated policy, titled the “Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide,” will supersede FEMA’s current Tribal Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance (Guidance), issued in 2010. The goal of this update is to simplify the Guidance, address key policy questions, and improve alignment with similar FEMA policies on state and local mitigation planning.

During a consultation period from April 26 to July 8, 2016, FEMA will engage tribal leaders through face-to-face meetings, conferences, and webinars to seek discussion and input on questions highlighted in a short “Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide: Key Concepts” document. Tribal officials can also submit comments via e-mail or mail. FEMA will consider the feedback received in revising the policy, and seek a second round of comment through a Federal Register notice later in 2016. FEMA anticipates release of the final policy in 2017. A one-year transition period will follow, allowing tribal governments to become familiar with the new policy before it goes into effect.

The Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide “Key Concepts” document is posted on FEMA’s website. Comments are accepted until July 8, 2016. For more background on tribal hazard mitigation planning, see the updated fact sheet Hazard Mitigation Planning for Indian Tribal Governments.

Mitigation Planning Information Exchange Webinars

FEMA is partnering with the American Planning Association (APA) and the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) to offer a free quarterly webinar series to share challenges, best practices, and evolving methods and techniques in hazard mitigation planning. The purpose of the webinar series is to encourage peer-to-peer learning and the exchange of information among a national and even international audience.

The planning information exchange will focus on multi-hazard mitigation planning but also emphasize its connections with recovery planning and preparedness. APA and ASFPM will act as co-conveners of all webinars and will select topics and presenters.

The next webinar titled "Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas" will occur December 2, 2016 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET. Participants can earn one continuing education credit through APA and ASFPM. For more information, to view past webinars, and to register for upcoming webinars, visit the American Planning Association website.

The State Mitigation Planning Key Topics Bulletins: Mitigation Strategy is now available in the FEMA library. The Mitigation Strategy Bulletin outlines a five-step process states can use to update their mitigation strategies. These steps include validating mitigation goals, evaluating and updating existing mitigation actions, identifying new mitigation actions, prioritizing mitigation actions, and identifying current and potential funding sources. The Bulletin also provides considerations for linking local and tribal mitigation strategies with the state mitigation strategy.

The Mitigation Strategy Bulletin completes a series of four brief documents aimed at providing states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. Territories with various approaches and resources meet the regulatory and policy requirements in the State Mitigation Plan Review Guide, which became effective on March 6, 2016.  The Guide presents FEMA’s official policy on and interpretation of the natural hazard mitigation planning requirements for states established in the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR Part 201). The other three Key Topics Bulletins cover the Risk Assessment, Planning Process, and Mitigation Capabilities.

For more information and updates on FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Program, please visit http://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning-resources.

APA and ASFPM Partner to Publish Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas

FEMA, in coordination with the American Planning Association (APA), announces the release of the new Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas (PAS 584). The new report will help communities improve their resiliency and provides how-to guidance for communities to design for new development and growth with a forward-looking mindset that reduces or eliminates the risk of flooding.

FIMA Deputy Associate Administrator Roy Wright is featured as the Foreword author of the report, and he relays the importance of planning to reduce the potential of flooding. He notes, “In the last 20 years, experiences in places affected by devastating disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy resulted in changes to the NFIP through legislation and the way the program is implemented.  Community officials are at the heart of the success of these changes.”  He also writes, “The decisions that are made today about where we build, how we build, and what types of building codes and local ordinances drive development will have long-term impacts on our flood risks in the future. Reducing the potential for flood risks to new development will allow community officials, first responders, and property owners to focus on reducing the risks to existing development and redeveloped areas. This report, Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas, provides an additional tool to community planners to help drive local decisions and future development and to be more resilient in the face of changing flood conditions.”