What is hazard mitigation?
Hazard Mitigation is a sustainable action that will reduce or eliminate injury to citizens, damages to structures and allow continuity of critical society functions.
Overview of the Region 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Region 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan is being updated from 2011 through 2013. The Region 2000 Local Government Council will prepare a revised plan that will maintain the region's eligibility for FEMA's disaster mitigation program funds. The hazard mitigation project management team will be updating the plan by further identifying known hazards, assessing potential risks, and developing mitigation strategies to protect lives and property and to prepare the region for disasters that may strike.
We have invited each locality to participate in the planning process. Along with their participation, community representatives and the area's experts in emergency management and the region's hazard risks will also participate in developing the goals and strategies for making Region 2000 more hazard-resistant.
As we work through the planning process, information will be available at the Local Government Coucil website. We will also be requesting input from community organizations and individuals through community meetings, open houses, comment periods for the plan, and the website.
What steps are involved in developing a regional plan?
- Hazard Identification: What hazards (such as flooding, wildfire, drought) are possible in the Region 2000 area and what is the degree of risk?
- Risk Assessment: Identify where the hazard exists, the degree of potential severity, its past occurrences, and probability of future occurrence.
- Determine the region's vulnerability: Inventory "assets" at risk, model potential impacts and assess the financial impacts.
- Capability Assessment: What strengths and weaknesses affect the region and its localities ability to successfully mitigate potential impacts of the identified hazards-i.e., what resources are available, what limitations exist?
- Identify goals and strategies for future mitigation: evaluate the plan's current (2006) goals and strategies; develop new ones based on the updated information in steps 1 and 2.
- Write the plan.
- Get input from the region's stakeholders (localities, community groups, citizens, etc.) on the draft plan.
- Submit the draft to Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) for review.
- Present the final plan to localities for comment.
- Revise the plan and submit the final to FEMA.
- Each of the region's participating localities must adopt the plan approved by FEMA to qualify for funding mitigation projects.
- Review the plan's mitigation strategies annually and submit a report to VDEM.
- Update the plan (repeat steps 1 through 10 every five years).