Hazard Mitigation
Hazard mitigation means different things to different people because of the wide range of activities associated with it. Overall, hazard mitigation means sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects. Mitigation distinguishes actions that have a long-term impact from those that are more closely associated with preparedness for, immediate response to, and short-term recovery from a specific incident.
Hazard mitigation measures fall into six general categories. They are preventive measures, property protection measures, public education and awareness, natural resource protection, emergency services, and structural projects. Over the past decade and more, the State of Iowa and many of its local jurisdictions have been involved in all of these categories of hazard mitigation.
The State has completed a State Hazard Mitigation Plan to comply with the requirements of the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. It is an inter-agency plan developed by the State Hazard Mitigation Team. The Team has performed a hazard analysis and risk assessment in which hazards that may affect the State have been identified, profiled, and ranked in order of priority. This information was then used to develop hazard mitigation goals, objectives, and measures to address the hazards.