Hazard Mitigation is any action taken to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters (natural, technological and man-made) according to FEMA. It is often considered the first of the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Mitigation measures fall into the following six general categories, and address both public and private property:
- Emergency Services: Measures such as:
- Communication systems
- Emergency response
- Hazard threat recognition
- Hazard warning systems
- Health and safety maintenance
- Protection of critical facilities
- Natural Resource Protection: Measures such as erosion and sediment control, stream corridor protection, vegetative management, and wetlands preservation
- Prevention: Measures such as:
- Building codes
- Development regulations
- Fire fuel reduction
- Open space preservation
- Planning and zoning
- Sediment control
- Soil erosion
- Storm water management
- Property Protection: Measures such as:
- Acquisition
- Barriers
- Flood-proofing
- Insurance
- Rebuilding
- Relocation
- Storm shutters
- Structural retrofits for high winds and earthquake hazards
- Public Education and Awareness: Measures such as outreach projects, real estate disclosure, hazard information centers, technical assistance, and school age and adult education programs
- Structural Projects: Measures such as:
- Bulkheads
- Buttresses
- Channel modifications
- Dams
- Debris basins
- Elevated roadways (seismic protection)
- High flow diversions
- Levees
- Retaining walls
- Retrofitted buildings
- Revetments
- Seawalls
- Spillways
- Storm sewers