Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan
Update for the Northern
Middlesex Region
PREPARED BY:
NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNCIL OF
GOVERNMENTS
MARCH 2011 KICK-OFF MEETING
Why Prepare an Updated Plan?
 The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000: all states, regions
and localities must prepare a hazard mitigation plan to
be eligible for future FEMA funding under the PreDisaster Mitigation (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance
Program (FMA) and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP)
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Emphasis on strong, integrated state and local planning
Sanctions for not meeting requirements at the state and
local levels
 The original 2006 PDM Plan for this region was
approved for a five-year period and is set to expire
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The 2006 plan also included the local annexes for the nine
NMCOG communities
What is a Natural Hazard?
 An event or physical condition that has the potential
to cause fatalities, injuries, property damage,
agricultural loss, damage to the environment,
interruption of business, or other types of harm or
loss
 Includes earthquakes, landslides, tornadoes,
hurricanes, winter storms, severe thunderstorms,
flooding, wildfire, drought, urban fire, etc.
 Updated plan will also consider the impacts of
climate change
What is Hazard Mitigation?
 Sustained action taken to reduce or
eliminate the long-term risk to people and
property from hazards and their effects
~FEMA
 Focus on breaking the repetitive cycle of
damage, reconstruction, and repeated
damage.
What are the benefits of hazard mitigation?
 Reduces the loss of life, property, essential
services, critical facilities and economic hardship
 Reduces short-term and long-term recovery and
reconstruction costs
 Increases cooperation and communication within
the community through the planning process
 Increases the potential for state and federal
funding for recovery and reconstruction projects
What are the tools of hazard mitigation?
 Land use planning and regulation of development in
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hazard-prone areas, such as prohibiting construction in a
floodplain or in other hazard prone areas
Enforcement of building codes and environmental
regulations
Public safety measures such as continual maintenance of
roadways, culverts and dams
Acquisition or relocation of properties, e.g. purchasing
buildings located in a floodplain
Retrofitting of structures and careful design of new
construction, such as elevating a home or building
Comprehensive emergency planning, preparedness and
recovery
Process for Developing the PDM Plan
 Update Identification of Natural Hazards
 Update Action Plan elements completed since last plan was
adopted
 Update Existing Protection Matrix
 Update Risk Assessment/Vulnerability
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What could be damaged (homes, roads, bridges, critical
infrastructure)/repetitive flood loss structures
Include information on maps and in a database
Estimate potential losses
 Develop Mitigation Strategies and Action Plan for the region
and each municipality
 Plan Adoption (By NMCOG and all nine communities)
 Plan Maintenance
 Plan Approval
GIS Inventory and Mapping
 Critical facilities (EOCs, Police and Fire stations,
hospitals and emergency shelters, ice rinks, dams,
schools, water/wastewater plants and pump stations,
power generation and distribution, special population
facilities [day care, elderly, correction facilities, group
homes, etc.], hazardous materials, and evacuation
routes)
 Repetitive flood loss and substantial damage areas
 Location of structures, land use types and population
centers
 Structures identified by use (residential, commercial,
industrial, institutional)
Public Involvement Process
 Monthly meetings of the MHCPT
 Two meetings with the local emergency planning
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committee
Two public meetings in each municipality
Informational presentations at the NMCOG monthly
Council meetings
Posting information on NMCOG’s website and on the
municipal websites
Press releases
NMCOG newsletter
The Role of Local Communities
 Establish a local planning committee that can work with
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NMCOG staff in the information gathering and review process
Local committee may include: Municipal
Manager/Administrator, Emergency Manager, Planner,
Conservation Agent, Public Safety officials, Health
Department/BOH, DPW/Highway Department, and
City/Town Engineer
Review draft report and materials as they are released
Participate in local planning committee meetings and
meetings of the regional Multi-Hazard Community Planning
Team (MHCPT)
Encourage community input (through website and
announcements at televised meetings)
The Role of NMCOG
 Assist the nine NMCOG communities in developing
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the local plans, which will be incorporated into the
regional plan, thereby creating a multi-jurisdictional
document
Conduct the public outreach process and ensure that
the document meets state and federal requirements
Prepare and submit the draft and final documents
Assist the communities with the Plan Adoption
process
Maintain the Plan