Community Meeting Local Hazard Mitigation

Hazard mitigation planning will enable local governments to better protect lives, property, and natural systems. The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. Local Hazard Mitigation Plans (LHMP) form the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.

Local governments and their communities benefit from hazard mitigation planning by:

• Identifying cost effective actions for risk reduction that are agreed upon by stakeholders and the public
• Focusing resources on the greatest risks and vulnerabilities
• Building partnerships by involving people, organizations, and businesses Increasing education and awareness of hazards and risk
• Communicating priorities to state and federal officials
• Aligning risk reduction with other community objectives