North Carolina’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Initiative Making North Carolina Homes, Businesses and Communities Less Vulnerable to Natural Hazards

human impact on the environment

cost of disasters For the period, FEMA spent more than $25.4 billion for declared disasters and emergencies compared to $3.9 billion (current dollars) in disaster aid for the period. Source: FEMA Webpage

mitigation benefits Decreased vulnerability to natural hazards Increased resiliency, quicker recovery Disasters less likely Contributes to community’s sustainability

Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 New requirements established by Congress for local and tribal governments to develop and submit mitigation plans to qualify for federal mitigation funding Senate Bill 300 (Public Assistance and Mitigation $$) Requires all local governments to have a state approved hazard mitigation plan adopted by August 2002 to qualify for future state disaster funds new legislation

structural measures Storm clips Safe room Storm shutters

non-structural measures Land-use Decisions Acquisition Relocation

Key Elected Officials City/County Manager Public Works Managers Community Planners City/County Engineers Building and Permit Officials Law Enforcement Fire Protection GIS Staff Floodplain Administrators Emergency Managers Who to Involve on Mitigation Advisory Committee (Suggested participants): get organized to prepare the plan

definitions Hazard Identification Vulnerability Assessment Risk Assessment Business Impact Analysis (BIA) Identification of hazards that exist in the community, including physical characteristics, frequency, probability, and magnitude. Assessment of the vulnerability of people and the built environment to natural hazards, including environmental impacts, economic impacts, critical facilities impacts, and population impacts. Builds on hazard identification and vulnerability assessment to address: 1) what is the probability of a hazard occurring, and what is the consequences if the hazard occurs? A step-by-step process to identify the parts of your business that need to be up and running as soon as possible in the aftermath of a disaster.

what is infrastructure? PUBLIC FACILITIES roads, bridges, culverts drainage & irrigation channels schools, city halls & other buildings water, power & sanitary systems airports & parks power cooperatives

infrastructure with PTM (Potential to Mitigate) Electric power distribution pad mounted transformers usage of multiple poles burying lines protective measures for fuel tanks replacing damaged poles Waste water treatment plants elevation of the equipment and controls floodproofing

assess your risk The North Carolina EMD has information on:  Natural hazards which are likely to affect your area  Where each hazard is likely to occur  The relative frequency of occurrence of each hazard  The intensity or strength of the hazard which is likely to occur in your area  The potential impact of those hazards

steps in a business impact analysis Identify your company’s major areas of exposure as they relate to a business disruption; Estimate the financial impact of business disruption; Identify your dependencies on information technologies; Identify your dependencies on third party vendors, suppliers and service providers; Identify your business recovery priorities; and Determine what your minimum requirements are going to be for the first few days following a major business disruption.

business impact analysis: five key steps Identify Critical Business Functions Identify Dependencies on Information Technology Assess Financial Impact of Business Disruption Identify Business Recovery Priorities Identify Potential Causes of Disruption & Develop Prevention Strategies

conducting a business impact analysis Identify business functions that are critical to the operation of your business - some key questions to address: –What business functions are you most dependent on to stay in business? –What specialized equipment is used in your business, and how is it used? –How long could your business function without this equipment? –What special procedures would be necessary if computer systems were not available? –What functions can be performed from the homes of employees who can dial into the computer system? –What is the minimum staff and floor space required to continue operations?

7 Low-Cost Steps to Protect Your Business Facility and its Contents from Flooding Build with Flood-Resistant Materials Move Valuables – Including Equipment – from Basement of Business if Prone to Flooding Elevate or Relocate Main Breaker, Fuse Box and Utility Meters Above Anticipated Flood Level Elevate Water Heater or Heating Plant Elevate Air Conditioning Compressor or Heat Pump Install Sewer Backflow Valves Anchor a Fuel Tank

protect your vital records Five Effective Steps to Protect Your Vital Records: Raise computers above the flood level and moving them away from large windows Move heavy and fragile objects to low shelves Store vital records in a secure off-site location Regularly back up vital electronic files (such as billing and payroll records and customer lists) and storing backup copies in a secure off-site location Secure equipment that could move or fall during an earthquake

Develop a Checklist of Steps to Take Immediately After a Disaster Maintain list of individuals and organizations to contact, including: !insurance carrier suppliers creditors employees and customers media contacts utility companies local emergency management agency

draft the mitigation plan Recommend changes to policies that increase community vulnerability. Create new mitigation initiatives and policies to address the problems you identified. Match programs to vulnerable areas.

Have the plan approved by your Advisory Committee. Send to NCEM for review and approval by the State Hazard Mitigation Officer!!!! Adopt your plan the same way local land use plans are adopted. adoption

Put the plan into ACTION!! Don’t let your plan sit on the shelf! implementation

Establish evaluation procedures to : Check up on previously-established indicators Check for changing levels of vulnerability evaluation

Conduct annual reviews Update every 5 years,at a minimum, or as needed basis upon annual review. Review and revise following disaster events enhancement

mitigation planning brings it all together!

Don’t leave the future to chance! mitigation planning: