| FMA | HMGP | PDM | Planning |
What is mitigation?
Mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life and property from a hazard event. Mitigation, also known as prevention (when done before a disaster), encourages long-term reduction of hazard vulnerability. The goal of hazard mitigation is to decrease the need for response as opposed to simply increasing the response capability.
What are the benefits of mitigation?
Mitigation reduces the economic burden to communities and to the state. Mitigation also reduces the recovery time after a disaster, threat of hazards to life and property, and the impact to the environment.
Am I in a fire prone area?
If you live in or near a forested area you are potentially vulnerable to wildfires. Fuel conditions are also a risk factor along with extended periods of drought.
How do you determine the risks for each commu-nity?
A community must determine “what” can occur, “when” (how often) it is likely to occur, and “how bad” the effects could be. FEMA has “How-to-Guides” to assist in the risk assessment process.
What will happen if my plan is not approved by FEMA? Will I be able to fix it and resubmit it? If not, will I not be allowed to apply for programs like FMA, HMGP etc…?
Hazard Mitigation Plans are a living document and can be changed and modified, as needed, to meet planning requirements and the needs of a community.
| FMA | HMGP | PDM | Planning |
Flood Mitigation Assistance
Am I in a floodplain?
The source for a flood zone determination is done at the local level. To find information you may want to visit websites such as www.fema.gov, www.flood.org, or www.floodsmart.gov.
What does a "100 year flood" mean?
The term "100-year flood" is misleading. It is not the flood that will occur once every 100 years. Rather, it is the flood elevation that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded each year. Thus, the 100-year flood could occur more than once in a relatively short period of time. The 100-year flood, which is the standard used by most federal and state agencies, is used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as the standard for floodplain management and to determine the need for flood insurance. A structure located within a special flood hazard area shown on an NFIP map has a 26% chance of suffering flood damage during the term of a 30-year mortgage.
Can I receive a Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) project grant without completing a Flood Mitigation Plan?
No, a FEMA-approved Flood Mitigation Plan (FMP) is required in order for a community to receive an FMA project grant.
Our community already has a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan which includes a flood hazard section. Do I still need a separate Flood Mitigation Plan?
If the flood portion of the local plan meets the flood plan requirements, it may be submitted as a Flood Mitigation Plan.
| FMA | HMGP | PDM | Planning |
Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program
How long will it take to get my HMGP project approved?
It is important for applicants to understand the approval process. Once eligible projects are selected by the state, they are forwarded to the FEMA Regional Office where they are reviewed to ensure compliance with federal laws and regulations. One such law is the National Environmental Policy Act, passed by Congress in 1970, which requires FEMA to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of each proposed project. The time required for the environmental review depends on the complexity of the project.
How much money is available through the HMGP program?
The amount of funding available for the HMGP is up to 15% of the total federal share of program costs for the Individual Assistance (IA) Program, Public Assistance (PA) Program and any federal missions related to the declared disaster, less administrative costs. The total amount available is locked in 12 months after the declaration date.
| FMA | HMGP | PDM | Planning |
pre-disaster mitigation program
What is the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program?
The PDM Program is a nationally competitive grant program developed to assist communities implement hazard mitigation measures in order to prevent future destruction from disasters. PDM is a proactive program that aims to reduce risks to populations and structures before a disaster occurs.
What is the difference between HMGP and PDM funding?
HMGP is a post-disaster funding source and is only available after a Presidentially declared disaster. PDM funding is a pre-disaster mitigation program is available annually during an open application period which does not currently have a set date.
| FMA | HMGP | PDM | Planning |
hazard mitigation planning
What are the benefits of hazard
mitigation planning?
Communities are more prepared to respond to disasters because a mitigation plan addresses a broad range of hazards, identifies vulnerabilities, critical facilities and infrastructure, and potential solutions. The plan is developed prior to a disaster with a local planning team and includes public involvement, so it often alleviates controversial issues which arise after a disaster and increases the cooperation and communication within a community. Also, states, tribal governments and local jurisdictions who have a FEMA approved multi-hazard mitigation plan are eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance.
Is the development of a “multi”-hazard mitigation plan a requirement to apply for ANY mitigation programs?
Yes, a FEMA approved multi-hazard mitigation plan is required in order to apply for any federal mitigation programs, which are administered through the state. Fortunately, most communities in Arizona have a FEMA approved plan or are in the process of developing a plan. (See the Mitigation Planning Section of this website for full details.)
Does my community have a hazard mitigation plan?
You may check if your community is listed on the mitigation plan list. For more details about specific plans, please contact the respective county.
What is the difference between a multi-jurisdictional and a local hazard
mitigation plan?
A multi-jurisdictional plan is the result of communities within a county combining resources and pursuing the planning process as a group to develop one plan. A local plan is a single jurisdiction stand alone plan developed with the jurisdiction as the lead but may include other agencies on their planning team.
What resources, other than funding, will be offered to local mitigation planning participants?
We have developed a Model Local Hazard Mitigation Plan that provides a comprehensive, step-by-step planning model to assist local Arizona communities in preparing hazard mitigation plans that satisfy the DMA2000 requirements. The model plan also provides guidance and assistance on interfacing with MitigationPlan.com, an on-line planning system. FEMA offers “How-to-Guides” to assist communities in the planning process.
As a city, can I subcontract the development or update of our Hazard Mitigation Plan?
Yes, jurisdictions can choose to perform plan development and/or updates themselves or hire a subcontract for these services.
Will pre-identifying my mitigation projects hurt my chance for funding in a post-disaster environment?
No, pre-identifying mitigation projects enhances opportunities for post-disaster funding as federal funding sources give priority to those projects that have been pre-identified.
How can a local jurisdiction join in on an
approved
multi-jurisdictional plan?
In the case of a new jurisdiction wishing to join a multi-jurisdictional plan that has already received FEMA approval, the new jurisdiction is strongly encouraged to develop its own single jurisdictional plan. This is because the new jurisdiction must complete all the planning criteria found in 44 C.F.R. Part 201.6 (c) (1-4), including an open planning process. By attempting to join an existing plan, changes made to this previously approved plan would constitute significant changes and would require all existing participants involved to re-adopt the plan and re-submit it to FEMA for evaluation and approval. This would be time-consuming and may be impractical for those jurisdictions that have already received this approval.
The new jurisdiction may contact the multi-jurisdictional planning team to seek agreement on joining the plan during its update. As accepted by the multi-jurisdictio-
nal
planning team, the new jurisdiction can establish a similar plan format consistent with the approved multi-jurisdictional plan and have access to information and data pertinent to its planning effort. In five years (or whenever the other jurisdictions wish to re-adopt the plan) the new plan can be merged into the multi-jurisdictional plan. All jurisdictions must continue to meet the requirements of 201.6 (c) 1-4. From: http://www.fema.gov/fima/
planfaq.shtm.
