About Hazard Mitigation
Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) is federal legislation that establishes a pre-disaster hazard mitigation program and new requirements for the national post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). DMA 2000 encourages and rewards local and state pre-disaster planning, promotes sustainability, and seeks to integrate state and local planning with an overall goal of strengthening statewide hazard mitigation planning. This enhanced planning approach enables local, tribal, and state governments to articulate accurate and specific needs for hazard mitigation, which results in faster, more efficient allocation of funding and more effective risk reduction projects.
What is hazard mitigation?
Hazard mitigation is any action taken to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters (natural, technological, and man-made) (www.fema.gov) It is often considered the first of the four phases of emergency management - mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Mitigation measures fall into the following six general categories:
What is a hazard mitigation plan?
FEMA defines a Hazard Mitigation Plan as the documentation of a state or local government's evaluation of natural hazards and the strategies to mitigate such hazards.
Hazard mitigation planning is the process of determining how to reduce or eliminate the loss of life and property damage resulting from natural hazards. Section 322 of the DMA 2000 specifically addresses mitigation planning at the state and local levels. FEMA has promulgates hazard mitigation planning regulations pursuant to the DMA 2000. These regulations identify four essential phases to mitigation planning: (1) organizing resources, (2) assess the risks, (3) develop the mitigation plan, and (4) implement the plan and monitor progress.
Somerset County has prepared a Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Plan demonstrates the county's and participating jurisdictions' commitment to reducing risk and serves as a guide for decision makers as they commit resources to minimize the effects of natural hazards.
How does this plan benefit Somerset County?
A hazard mitigation plan will assist Somerset County with the following:
Proactive mitigation leads to sustainable, more cost-effective projects. By contract, reactive mitigation tends to lead to the "quick-fix" alternatives; it simply costs too much to address the effects of disasters only after they happen. A surprising amount of damage can be prevented if the county anticipates where and how disasters will occur, and take steps to mitigate those damages.