“Protecting the Public through Hazard Mitigation Planning” Dwight H. Merriam, FAICP Robinson & Cole LLP, Hartford

Mitigation Planning Hazard mitigation Fundamentally a planning process action taken by the public and private sectors to reduce the risk of death and injury and property damage from hazards. Fundamentally a planning process following the rational planning model, and requiring an iterative and interactive process from assessment to alternatives analysis to program selection to implementation to feedback and reiteration.

Rational Planning Model

Risk Assessment Identify actions for risk reduction Focus on greatest risks Build partnerships Tell federal and state your priorities Align risk reduction with other objectives

Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 Requires mitigation planning to receive federal funding. FEMA approves the plans. 22,582 communities have FEMA-approved or approvable-pending-adoption local mitigation plans. 145 tribal governments have FEMA-approved or approvable-pending-adoption tribal mitigation plans.  Communities with planned mitigation strategies include over 81% of the nation's population. [figures as of yesterday]

Enhanced Plans More money. As of yesterday, are California; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; Missouri; Iowa; Nevada; North Carolina; Ohio; Oregon; Washington; and Wisconsin.

Many Resources On preparing a natural a hazards mitigation plan: “How-to Guide #1” Getting Started: Building Support for Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-1) “How-to Guide #2” Understanding Your Risks: Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses (FEMA 386-2) “How-to Guide #3” Developing the Mitigation Plan: Identifying Mitigation Actions and Implementation Strategies (FEMA 386-3) “How-to Guide #4” Bringing the Plan to Life: Implementing the Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA 386-4)

Many Resources On specific mitigation planning approaches: “How-to Guide #5” Using Benefit-Cost Review in Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-5) “How-to Guide #6” Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Hazard Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-6) “How-to Guide #7” Integrating Manmade Hazards into Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-7) “How-to Guide #8” Multi-Jurisdictional Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-8)

Again, Think Planning… What do we have? What are our alternatives? What are the risks? What resources do we have available? What are our alternatives? What are our priorities as to these alternatives? How do we implement our plan? As we gain experience with implementation, what has worked and what has failed? How should we now refine our inventory, our alternatives and our implementation to improve our responsiveness to hazards?

Considerations at the Start of Planning Process

Ask Yourself: Is this the proper level of government? Is your community ready to begin disaster mitigation planning  Is there support for hazard mitigation planning? Are there impediments to disaster mitigation planning?

What Are the Risks?

List The Hazards that May Occur   1. Research newspapers and other historical records. 2. Review existing plans and reports. 3. Talk to the experts in your community, state, or region. 4. Gather information on internet websites. 5. Identify all hazards that may occur in your community or state.

Focus on the Most Prevalent Hazards in Your Community or State   1. Go to hazard Websites. 2. Locate your community or state on the website map. 3. Determine whether you are in a high-risk area. Get more localized information if necessary. 4. Identify all hazards that pose a significant threat.

Profiling The geographic extent, the nature, the intensity and other aspects of the hazard are entered on data sheets and mapped, preferably in a GIS system. FEMA asks: "How bad can it get?" Inventory all of the physical resources inside and outside of the hazard impact area. What facilities are critical; businesses; historic, cultural and natural resource areas; and other areas of special consideration? Infrastructure affected?

Identify Resources Checklist: Appendix C of FEMA 386-1 Local/Tribal Special Districts and Authorities Others, e.g. consultants, developers State Non-Governmental Entities

Identify and Prioritize Alternatives Prevention Property Protection Public Education and Awareness Natural Resource Protection Emergency Services Structural Projects

Ranking and Selecting STAPLEE criteria, an acronym for "Social, Technical, Administrative, Political, Legal, Economic, and Environmental”

Questions and, we hope, some answers… Tropical Storm Irene (2011)