Organize Resources                                      

There are certain reasons why disaster preparedness and hazard mitigation planning should be at the top of your community’s agenda. First you will be prepared for a disaster before it strikes, thereby saving lives, property, time, money, and resources. Second, planning can unite constituencies in your community behind one common thread. Protecting lives and property is a broad goal that is widely supported. For example: Organize Resources. The first phase of the mitigation planning process includes assessing your planning capabilities, establishing a planning team, securing political support, and engaging the community in the effort.               

Assess Risks. The second phase of the mitigation planning process involves identifying and evaluating hazard risk. A risk assessment involves determining the exposure of your community to hazards, the probability of potential damages, and the compilation of expected loss estimates. Knowing the hazard vulnerability of your community will help you protect your most at-risk assets first.

Develop a Mitigation Plan. The third phase of the mitigation planning process builds on the capability and risk assessment. Goals, objectives, and mitigation actions are developed next based on the findings of steps one and two. This phase focuses on identifying and prioritizing mitigation actions to reduce future disaster-related losses.

                                                                       

Implement and Monitor Progress. The fourth phase of the mitigation planning process involves adopting, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing the plan over time to ensure that the plan’s goals and objectives are being met. Specific agencies and individuals should be assigned responsibility to implement identified measures with clearly delineated timelines. Periodic review of the plan will keep the plan current, reflecting the changing needs of your community. If you execute properly you can address interrelated goals within your neighborhood. The best time to begin the process of incorporating disaster resistance into your community is before a disaster takes place. Recognizing the hazards and risk in the neighborhood, foreseeing disaster recovery issues, and prioritizing the mitigating policies and actions before a catastrophe hits and result in substantial damages. According to FEMA, Napa, California experienced 27 floods between 1862 and 1997. In 1996 residents, business, local government and numerous resource agencies became part of a community coalition to create a flood protection project that restored the natural function of the river. The project restored over 650 acres of tidal wetlands, protecting 2,700 homes, 350 businesses and over 50 public properties. The project resulted in a projected savings of 26 million annually in flood damage costs. So you see, disaster prevention is not only vitally important but also an essential catalyst for change. Natural hazard mitigation planning is the process on figuring out how to reduce or eliminate the loss of life and property damage resulting from natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes and tornadoes. Remember, develop a comprehensive mitigation plan and rest assure you will gain to benefit from this process.
Disaster of all types - wildfire, flood, tornado, earthquake, hazardous material spill, winter storm - can stike quickly and without warning. You can cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together.