Hazard mitigation refers to actions that help reduce or eliminate long-term risks caused by hazards, such as floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Effective hazard mitigation is achieved through a comprehensive, long-term plan developed before disasters occur.

As disaster costs continue to rise, governments and citizens must find ways to reduce risks to their communities. After disasters, repairs and reconstruction often restore damaged property to pre-disaster conditions. While this may "get things back to normal," it frequently perpetuates a cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.

Hazard mitigation disrupts this cycle by creating less vulnerable conditions through pre- and post-disaster actions. For example, instead of rebuilding a damaged culvert to its previous state, it can be rebuilt larger and stronger to reduce the likelihood of future damage.

Implementing hazard mitigation actions now enables state and local governments to build stronger, safer, and smarter communities, reducing future injuries and damages.

• Participating communities should include at least one mitigation action plan for each hazard identified.  This identifies a plan and action to lessen the impact of hazards locally.
• Protect and prevent loss of life and injury.
• Reduce harm to existing and future development.
• Maintain community continuity and strengthen the social connections essential for recovery.
• Prevent damage to your community’s unique economic, cultural, and environmental assets.
• Minimize operational downtime and accelerate government and business recovery after disasters.
• Reduce the costs of disaster response and recovery and the risks for first responders.
• Help achieve other community objectives, such as capital improvements, infrastructure protection, open space preservation, and economic resiliency.

• Ensuring eligibility for all sources of hazard mitigation funds made available through FEMA.
• Increasing public awareness and understanding of vulnerabilities as well as support for specific actions to reduce losses from future disasters.
• Ensuring community policies, programs, and goals are compatible with reducing vulnerability to all hazards and identifying those that are incompatible.
• Building partnerships with diverse stakeholders, increasing opportunities to leverage data and resources in reducing workloads, as well as achieving shared community objectives.
• Expanding the understanding of potential risk reduction measures to include: local plans and regulations; structure and infrastructure projects; natural systems protection; education and awareness programs; and other tools.
• Informing the development, prioritization, and implementation of mitigation projects. Benefits accrue over the life of these projects as losses are avoided from each subsequent hazard event.