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Mitigation
What is Mitigation?
Mitigation is any sustained action taken to eliminate or reduce future risk to people and property from hazards. Mitigation saves time and money by decreasing real-world damages. Mitigation can take place anytime, but the intent is always to reduce risk from future hazards.
Hazard Mitigation Planning
Hazard mitigation planning reduces loss of life and property by minimizing the impact of disasters A hazard mitigation plan identifies the hazards a community or region faces, assesses their vulnerability to the hazards and identifies specific actions that can be taken to reduce the risk from the hazards. After identifying these risks, they develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from similar events. Mitigation plans are key to breaking the cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires communities to update their plan every 5 years to maintain eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs. The NOVA HMP, required to be updated every 5 years, aims to minimize, or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards, such as droughts, floods, winter weather, high winds, and other major disasters. Hazard mitigation efforts could include projects such as flood channel clearing, road and bridge design changes, property buy-outs, building code changes, or public alert systems.
2022 Northern Virginia Hazard Mitigation Plan
The 2022 NOVA Hazard Mitigation Plan is a multi-jurisdictional plan that covers the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William, the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, and the Towns of Clifton, Dumfries, Haymarket, Herndon, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Occoquan, Purcellville, Quantico, Round Hill, and Vienna. The plan update also incorporates the concerns and needs of other stakeholder participants.
Click on the appropriate link below to download a PDF copy of the Northern Virginia Hazard Mitigation Plan and associated Prince William County annexes.
2022 Northern Virginia Hazard Mitigation Base Plan
Prince William County Hazard Mitigation Annex
Town of Dumfries Hazard Mitigation Annex