Case Study

The city and county of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, held public meetings during their 2019 hazard mitigation plan update. The city tapped into local and regional networks to share the messaging and boost public attendance. Informal community meetings were held to discuss the plan; a continental breakfast, bento box lunch and small group breakout sessions were offered. The plan update committee also refreshed its messaging methods

Mountains over a week, in an area that typically receives 14 inches of precipitation annually. That rain landed on the tens of thousands of mountainous acres that drain into the St. Vrain watershed, at the base of which sits the town of Lyons (population 2,035).

Three separate hurricanes affected the same area of Jefferson Parish between 2005- 2021. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FEMA mitigation funds for $2.3 million were used to elevate 23 individual homes. After Hurricane Isaac in 2012, FEMA published a loss avoidance study. This original loss avoidance study has been updated after Hurricane Ida in 2021.

Challenge: Comprehensive plans are required by the State of Nebraska to provide objectives, goals, and policies for and by the community. The objective of a comprehensive plan is to act as a visionary document which aligns zoning ordinances with community practices in development with consideration to social, economic and environmental factors specific to the community.

Challenge: Areas recently affected by wildfires are particularly susceptible to debris flows during rainstorms. It is important to provide debris flow information so that communities recovering from wildfire are aware of the added risks.