The region is susceptible to a range of disasters, floods, hurricanes, chemical accidents or acts of terrorism. The need for adequate preparation is not a matter of if but when. While we cannot eliminate the threats of disasters, good planning can help minimize their impacts. H-GAC is committed to working with local governments to ensure that the region is as prepared as can be.
Background – Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
H-GAC, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (DEM), and 85 local governments developed a regional hazard mitigation plan in 2006 and updated it in 2011. This comprehensive plan identifies regional hazards and vulnerabilities and includes over 300 mitigation projects that could be implemented within the region. This plan is important because the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 makes the development of a hazard mitigation plan a specific eligibility requirement for any local government applying for federal mitigation grant funding, including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program.
Download the 2011 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. Specific mitigation projects are included in Appendix A. Types of projects include acquiring floodplain property, buying out flood-prone homes, and increasing culvert capacity. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the 2011 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update on October 11, 2012. The plan expires on October 11, 2017.
Current Status – County Hazard Mitigation Plans
H-GAC is working with local jurisdictions to complete County Hazard Mitigation Plans for seven counties within the region. While these plans are county-level, they will include similar projects as the regional-level plan. These projects may include acquiring floodplain property, buying out flood-prone homes, increasing culvert capacity, improving regional drainage, building tornado shelters, and implementing shoreline protection in cities and counties.
These seven county-level plans will replace the 2011 Hazard Mitigation Plan Updates for the participating counties. Once approved by FEMA and adopted by each jurisdiction, these plans will allow the participating counties to receive funding for federal mitigation grants, including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program.