Mitigation is a broad term for the long-term steps you can take to reduce the impact of natural hazard events. It reduces property risk to hazard events and allows you to return home more quickly after a disaster.
Mitigation also happens at the community level, where it can help your community thrive in the face of disasters and climate change. It is proactive risk reduction to prevent damage to what your community values.
When residents and community leaders choose to reduce their risk, they help keep their communities thriving and resilient.
FEMA’s Risk MAP program provides flood maps and other tools to better assess and mitigate your risks.
Why Invest in Mitigation?
Investing in actions to reduce risks now can mean far less impact from floods or other hazards. It can also improve property values, enhance public spaces to enjoy now and protect for tomorrow and reduce National Flood Insurance Program policy premiums.
Research from the National Institute of Building Sciences shows that every $1 of federal funding invested in mitigation saves $6 in future disaster costs.
Effective mitigation isn’t always grand and expensive. Efforts vary from person to person and are dependent on property, flood zone and many other variables. Mitigation for Homeowners explains the basics.
For example, it might not be necessary to elevate your home. Elevating electrical appliances or using flood-resistant materials, like tile instead of carpet, can still offer financial protection for a property.
Browse Risk Reduction Resources
Whether you're integrating into current community plans or looking for ideas on how best to implement, our collection has numerous resources to support mitigation planning activities.