Mitigation Best Practices

Mitigation Best Practices are stories, articles or case studies about individuals, businesses or communities that undertook successful efforts to reduce or eliminate disaster risks.

They demonstrate that disaster preparedness decreases repetitive losses, financial hardship and loss of life.

FEMA seeks to inspire and educate citizens to consider mitigation options by highlighting proven practices implemented by others in their homes and communities. It is our hope that visitors to this library find relatable and informative techniques to reduce their risk and eliminate hazards.

Explore mitigation planning examples on the Mitigation Planning Success Stories story map. It highlights success stories on plan implementation, plan integration, outreach, engagement and equity. If you have a success story worth sharing, please email us.

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In the mid-1990s, North Carolina was a leader in mitigation planning. In 1996, the state created a Hazard Mitigation Planning Initiative. This grew outreach, training and funding support for North Carolina’s local planning efforts. This marked a milestone for North Carolina’s efforts to improve planning in its local jurisdictions.
Lee County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves an important role in the safety of the residents of within the county. It is the warning center for both natural and man-made hazards that threaten the area and it serves as a focal point for coordination of emergency response and recovery activities.
To address the issue of storm surge takes planning and strategy. Eight core initiatives— Environment, Health, Education, Energy, Technology, Transportation, Storm Safety and Fun have guided decision making at every stage of development for one Florida community.
Gulf Coast Village, in Cape Coral Florida, in operation since 1989, is heralded as the premier Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Sponsored by Volunteers of America National Services, a national nonprofit faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential, the retirement community is the only CCRC in Cape Coral that offers a full continuum of care, which includes assisted living, skilled nursing, secured memory support, home health and rehabilitation services.
Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September 2017, causing extensive damage in many parts of the state. Hurricane Irma's 185 mph maximum winds continued for more than 37 hours — the longest any cyclone on record to maintain that intensity. Sixty-five percent of the state was without power immediately after the storm including 6.5 million homes and businesses.
Flood water is no stranger to the residents of Lafitte, an unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Although the land Paul Jackson purchased was in a low-risk zone on the community’s current flood maps, he understood the risk of living in a coastal area. With a mitigation mindset, he decided to build a resilient home and purchased a flood insurance policy to protect his investment.
Mobile homes damaged by the winds and rain of Hurricane Ike in 2008, resulted in new homes for 54 residents of Montgomery County, Texas. Little did they know just how much that hurricane would change their lives.
When Albert Darda bought his brick and wood frame home in 1978, he knew flooding was a possibility. A long-term resident of the Lafitte area, he has watched the slow disintegration of the Louisiana coastline over the years. Based on that fact, and his experience, he knew the only way to escape flooding was to elevate his home above future flood levels. The challenge was he also knew that only his local officials could help him access the FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) that would help him get there.
Following the catastrophic flood caused by Hurricane Harvey hitting Texas, Harris County quickly approved local funds to buy and demolish some of the worst flooded homes. This action sped up disaster recovery and reduced future flood risks.
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