Hazard Mitigation Planning aims to break the cycle of disaster-repair-disaster and can help a community to prepare for a more sustainable future. Developing and putting into place long-term strategies that reduce or alleviate loss of life, injuries, and property resulting from natural or human caused hazards accomplish this goal. These long-term strategies must incorporate a range of community resources including planning, policies, programs, and other activities that can make a community more resistant to disaster. Mitigation planning efforts should both protect people, structures, and natural resources, while minimizing costs of disaster response and recovery. Mitigation is the cornerstone for emergency management and should be viewed as a method for decreasing demand on scarce and valuable disaster response resources.
The UMVRDC is considered an expert in Hazard Mitigation Planning, through multiple contracts with Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine Counties and the Upper Sioux Community. The Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management collaborate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure that each county and/jurisdiction have active Hazard Mitigation Plans. FEMA requires that all Hazard Mitigation Plans be updated within a 5-year period.
