Region 7 Hazard Mitigation Case Studies and Best Practices

Highlighting particularly effective aspects of a local mitigation plans from the Region 7 states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, below is the collection of Region 7 hazard mitigation planning case studies and best practices.

Search by keyword or browse through our examples of good planning practices that may be of use to other plan developers to review and incorporate as appropriate into their planning processes.

Case Studies and Best Practices

In 2011 a deadly EF-5 tornado—winds more than 200 mph, top of the Enhanced Fujita Damage Scale—took 161 lives in Joplin, Missouri. The catastrophic event, which brought down nearly 7,000 homes, a hospital, and other public buildings, prompted a wave of initiatives throughout the state to reduce risks to lives and damage to property in the path of another disaster.
A deadly tornado struck Joplin, Missouri one Sunday in May 2011 killing 161. The tornado destroyed or damaged many of the 14 schools in the Joplin School District where more than 7,000 students attend classes. At the time, there were no safe rooms for students to seek shelter in Joplin.  In 2023, there are saferooms now. Since 2011, the Joplin School District has built 14 school safe rooms with federal assistance.
Multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation planning can be an effective process to build partnerships between communities that face common hazard risks, leading to shared solutions. It can also help build a foundation to shift priorities as risks and vulnerabilities change.
A good hazard mitigation plan assesses a community's risk and prioritizes solutions to address that risk. It is created by community experts with input from various stakeholders including the public-those who live and work in the community.
The purpose of mitigation planning is for state, local, and tribal governments to identify the natural hazards that affect them and develop a mitigation strategy to reduce potential losses from these hazards. Many communities, especially those with limited capacity, struggle to develop and evaluate meaningful mitigation strategies that match their capability and resources to carry out.
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