Mitigation

Despite billions of dollars spent to "control" floods or reduce risk, statistics show that each decade since 1900 has witnessed more flood losses than the previous decade. In addition, other large-scale factors like demographic shifts toward the nation's coasts and catastrophic events like Hurricane Katrina hint that this pattern is likely to continue. Mitigation stands out as one of the best options that the nation has to combat rising flood losses, and studies have shown that hazard mitigation, overall, is highly cost-effective. Mitigation frequently presents "win-win" situations by breaking the cycle of repetitive flood loss while also complementing other floodplain management objectives. However, successful mitigation is often not well understood because few people notice when a disaster does not happen. 

See also:

• ASFPM Flood Mitigation Committee
• ASFPM White Papers

Mitigation Grant Programs

• FEMA Grants and Assistance
• FEMA Grant Applicant Resources
  

Mitigation Technical Assistance

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

• Floodplain Management Services (FPMS) 
  • USACE Offices - Request FPMS assistance through your nearest Corps office.
• Program Assistance to States (PAS)
• Silver Jackets

National Park Service (NPS)

• NPS - Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program Links 

• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
• Flood Mitigation Assistance
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant
• Repetitive Flood Claims
• Severe Repetitive Loss

Federal Legislation Affecting Mitigation Funding

Letters Opposing Pre-Disater Mitigation Grant Earmarks

South Carolina Association for Hazard Mitigation (SCAHM) Opposes PDM Earmarks (5/08)
Kentucky Association of Mitigation Managers Opposes PDM Earmarks (4/08)
New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Assoc. Regarding PDM Earmarks (4/08)
New Jersey Floodplain Management Association Letter Regarding PDM Earmarks (4/08)
Ohio Floodplain Management Association Letter Regarding PDM Earmarks (3/08)
ASFPM Letter Regarding Set-Asides in 2008 PDM (1/08)
List of 2008 PDM Earmarks
ASFPM Testimony before the Senate EPW Committee; The Stafford Act in a Post-Katrina World (7/06)

Letters Opposing Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Act of 2008 (S. 3175)

GAFM Letter Regarding PDM S.3175 (7/08)
ASFPM Letter to Senate Regarding PDM S. 3175 (7/08)
MAFSM Letter to Senator Cardin Regarding PDM S.3175 (7/08)
MAFSM Letter to Senator Mikulski Regarding PDM S.3175 (7/08)
IAFSM Letter to Senator Obama Regarding PDM S. 3175 (7/08)
IAFSM Letter to Senator Durbin Regarding PDM S. 3175 (7/08)

Other Documents

Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards (02/13)
Highlights of ASCE 24-05 Flood Resistant Design and Construction (10/08)
Multihazard Mitigation Council - Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: An Independant Study to Assess the Future Savings from Mitigation Activities (Summary Report, 12/05)

• View MMC Full Report on Study to Assess Future Savings from Mitigation Activities