Corolla, Currituck County, 2012 (Source: Image by author)
BUILDING LOCAL RESILIENCE
Hazard Mitigation Plan Implementation in Coastal
North Carolina
NCEM/ECU HURRICANE WORKSHOP, May 28, 2014
Anuradha MUKHERJI, PhD.
Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment
East Carolina University
Swan Quarter, Hyde County, 2012 (Source: Image by author)
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• The Research
• Research Background
• Research Methods
• Research Findings
• Initial Recommendations
THE RESEARCH
Research Focus: The 20 North Carolina CAMA (under Coastal Area Management
Act) counties with a certified multi-jurisdictional county level hazard mitigation plan.
(Source: Base maps from the United States Census Bureau
(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/north_carolina_map.html) and from the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/cm/103).
RESEARCH BACKGROUND
plan implementation
• Hazard mitigation broadly
grouped into:challenges
in coastal Mitigation
North Carolina
Structural
& Non-Structural Mitigation
atunderstanding
the 20 coastalof
counties
under mitigation
CAMA
• Looks
Limited
local hazard
plan implementation
• All 20 CAMA counties have certified hazard
but implementation
of policy but
• mitigation
Increasing plans
responsibility
on local governments
recommendations
or action
remains uneven
s
uncertainty
about local
commitment
& capacity
• Implementation following policy adoption
• Place-based studies
RESEARCH METHOD
• Place-based qualitative research
• Content analysis of hazard mitigation plans
• In-depth semi-structured interviews
• First (i.e. descriptive) & second (i.e., pattern) cycle
coding
MALE
FEMALE
TOTAL
Emergency
Management
Planning
Other (e.g., County
Manager, Zoning)
TOTAL
5
1
6
4
6
10
2
1
3
11
8
RESEARCH FINDINGS
THE WHAT, HOW, AND WHY OF HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION
WHAT:
Hazard mitigation measures pursued and
associated challenges
WHY:
Issues impacting decision to pursue hazard
mitigation measures
HOW:
Resource challenges for implementing
hazard mitigation measures
RESEARCH FINDINGS: WHAT
OTHER
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
BUYOUT
ELEVATING HOMES
WHAT: Hazard mitigation measures pursued & challenges
RESEARCH FINDINGS: WHY
PLAN ISSUES
PUBLIC SUPPORT
VULNERABILITY
POPULATION & GEOGRAPHY
WHY: Issues impacting decision to pursue hazard mitigation
RESEARCH FINDINGS: HOW
COPING STRATEGIES / ADAPTAION
OTHER
STAFF
FUNDING
HOW: Resources for implementing hazard mitigation
INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Cannot assume implementation just because there is
a hazard mitigation plan in place
2. Building Resilience: Help counties balance conflict
between safety and expense
3. Address the fragmented nature of mitigation
implementation (i.e., everyone has a piece – planning,
building inspections, public works, utilities) – who is the
lead
4. Targeted assistance for technical expertise and grant
applications – particularly in rural counties with limited
staff – creating a tiered system of grants based on
population, a pool of funds to assist with match money