FEMA aims to prepare communities, reduce suffering, and speed recovery through its portfolio of Resilience programs, which includes Hazard Mitigation Assistance, Mitigation Planning, Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP), and other Resilience and Preparedness grants. FEMA’s recovery programs, Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA), also provide mitigation opportunities to help communities build back better in the wake of disaster. Each of these programs is key to building more resilient communities.
The National Mitigation Planning program is responsible for implementing requirements for hazard mitigation planning and the HMA Division is responsible for all aspects of the HMA programs; the Mitigation Planning program and HMA have a close partnership. The Mitigation Planning program and HMA closely coordinate on mitigation planning subapplications before subapplicants receive HMA funding.
Successful mitigation activities, including those assisted by HMA programs, are based on well-crafted mitigation plans. Mitigation plans allow state, local, tribal and territorial governments to organize their long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future natural hazard events after assessing all disaster risks and vulnerabilities common to their planning areas. The mitigation planning process is prescribed in regulations and should result in mitigation actions based on a fair, logical and fact-based thought process. The mitigation plan must be adopted by the jurisdiction and approved by FEMA unless otherwise delegated. Adoption and approval of state, local, tribal and territorial plans are eligibility requirements for HMGP, HMGP Post Fire, BRIC and FMA[3]. State and tribal mitigation plans are also eligibility requirements for PA Categories C-G, Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs), and the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) grants. These plans need to be updated every five years to account for changing risk profiles and priorities.[4]
Through Risk MAP, FEMA provides communities with education, risk communication and outreach to better protect residents from flood risks. The Risk MAP project lifecycle emphasizes community engagement and partnerships to ensure a whole community approach that reduces flood risk and builds more resilient communities. Risk MAP risk assessment information strengthens a local community’s ability to make more informed decisions. Risk MAP allows communities to better determine and prioritize activities funded under HMA programs.
Through PA and IA, FEMA supports mitigation activities done in conjunction with eligible repair or restoration of homes and facilities during the recovery process. PA Mitigation is often referred to as “406 Mitigation,” as the basis for this program is in Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). [5] Under IA, the Individuals and Households Program provides funds for hazard mitigation assistance to help eligible homeowners repair or rebuild stronger, more durable homes.
The HHPD grant program provides technical, planning, design and construction assistance in the form of grants to non-federal sponsors for the rehabilitation of eligible high-hazard potential dams. The HHPD program is authorized by 33 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 467f-2.