Mitigation Planning

Mitigation planning saves lives and property, speeds recovery following disasters, and expedites both pre-disaster and post-disaster grant funding. Developing a hazard mitigation plan is requirement for any local government who wants to apply for mitigation grant funds. Communities with an adopted plan may apply to receive available mitigation funds.

Sound mitigation planning can produce long-term recurring benefits by breaking the repetitive cycle of loss during disasters. The premise is to invest funds today on projects that will mitigate future damage and reduce the need for future funds to recover, repair and reconstruct after a disaster. Implementing good mitigation practices will enable local residents, businesses, and industries to re-establish themselves in the wake of a disaster, getting the local economy back on track sooner. Mitigation planning can also lead to other benefits. For example, acquiring land in known hazard areas can help preserve open space, maintain environmental health and enhance recreational opportunities. Many of these common goals will become increasingly evident as a community walks through the local mitigation planning process.

Regional Planning

A regional Hazard Mitigation plan integrates the plans of several counties and municipalities into a single plan. Jurisdictions work together in the planning process to develop a mitigation strategy based on their risk to similar hazards, saving time and resources and making the plan easier.

The benefits of a regional Hazard Mitigation Plan

1.  Shared Resources - Less money is needed by individual governments to update the plan. Local municipalities' planning departments share in the work, thus improving efficiency.  Also, municipalities can share in the cost of the local match when applying for projects. For instance, instead of having to produce 25% match (PDM), local governments can share cost with neighboring partner.

2.  Regional plans receive priority for planning grant funds - NCEM recognizes that regional plans can be more cost beneficial. Those applicants will  have a better chance of receiving a planning grant.

3.   No local control is compromised or lost - As a participating municipality in a FEMA approved and adopted regional plan, all participants have the right to apply to NCEM for FEMA funding.

2018 North Carolina Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan