Disaster Mitigation

 Mitigation reduces the impact of

disasters by supporting
protection and prevention
activities, easing response, and
speeding recovery to create better
prepared and more resilient
communities.
 Mitigation can include structural
and nonstructural efforts.
Structural Mitigation
 Prevent hazards from developing into a disaster through
structures
 Examples include:
 Building dams
 Building seawalls
 Hurricane proof buildings
 Earthquake resistant structures
Benefits and Disadvantages
 Benefits of Structural Mitigation
 Financial losses lessened
 Lower insurance premiums
 Reduced rebuilding efforts
 Disadvantages
 Increased upfront building costs
 Not 100% effective
 Increased risk taking by occupants
Nonstructural Mitigation
 Prevent hazards from disasters through administrative
efforts
 Example include:
 Building zoning and planning
 Building codes and enforcement
 Education and training
 Relocation
Benefits and Disadvantages
 Benefits of Nonstructural Mitigation
 Less costly than structural
 Lower insurance premiums
 Disadvantages
 Less effective than structural efforts
 Require greater public commitment
FEMA Disaster Mitigation Framework
 The National Mitigation Framework discusses
seven core capabilities required for entities
involved in mitigation:
 Threats and Hazard Identification
 Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment
 Planning
 Community Resilience
 Public Information and Warning
 Long-term Vulnerability Reduction
 Operational Coordination
FEMA’s Mitigation Core Capabilities
Mitigation Coordination Efforts
 The coordinating structures for mitigation
range from the individual efforts to national
coordination.
 Includes involvement from non-governmental
agencies, local government, and state
Federal Insurance & Mitigation
Administration
 FIMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP) and a range of programs designed to reduce future
losses to homes, businesses, schools, public buildings, and
critical facilities from floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and
other natural disasters.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance
 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) assists in
implementing long-term hazard mitigation measures
following a major disaster.
 Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) provides funds for hazard
mitigation planning and projects on an annual basis.
 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) provides funds for
projects to reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to
buildings that are insured under the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP) on an annual basis.