Hazard Mitigation

Definition

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines hazard mitigation as:

A series of actions and policies designed to reduce and/or eliminate the impacts of naturally occurring disasters on people and property.

Our Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Town of Cumberland has hired the Horsley Witten Group, Inc. to update the 2017 Cumberland Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF).

Why is this important? Hazard mitigation planning enables municipalities to identify risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural hazards and develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future hazard events. Further information is available on FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Planning page.

A hazard mitigation plan should be considered a living document that must grow and adapt, keeping pace with a community’s growth and change. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA) places a high priority on the continuation of the planning process after the initial submittal, requiring communities to seek and receive re-approval from FEMA in order to remain eligible for financial assistance.

Methods

The approach for this plan development is premised on four primary methods, all geared towards meeting the requirements of the DMA 2000 Public Law 106-390, October 10, 2000:

• Planning Process - Outreach and Stakeholder Coordination
• Risk Assessment - Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses
• Mitigation Strategy - Identifying Mitigation Actions and Implementation Strategies
• Plan Maintenance - Implementation, Evaluation, and Revision/Update

Online Community Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Survey to help us coordinate activities and identify future projects to address natural hazards and climate change impacts facing the community.