Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

A Regional Overview All-Hazard Mitigation Plan 1
SECTION 4
Introduction to Mitigation
The East-West Gateway Council of Governments is subject to many types of hazards:
flooding, tornado/severe windstorm, winter storm, earthquake/landslide, dam failure,
drought, heat wave, and an occasional wildfire. All-hazard mitigation planning is the
process associated with devising strategies needed to mitigate the damages associated
with these disasters.
Definition of Mitigation
Mitigation is defined as “sustained action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to
people and property from hazards and their effects.” It describes the ongoing efforts at
the Federal, State, local and individual levels to lessen the impact of disasters upon families,
homes, jurisdictions and the economy.
Mitigation includes not only avoiding the development of hazard prone sections of the
jurisdiction, but also making existing development in hazard prove areas safer. Certain
areas in some jurisdictions are susceptible to damage from hazards. As such, steps are
taken to make these areas less vulnerable through flood buyouts.
Jurisdictions can steer growth to less risky areas, through non-structural measures such as
avoiding construction in flood-prone areas. Keeping buildings and people out of harm’s
way is the essence of mitigation. Incorporating mitigation into decisions relating to a
jurisdiction’s growth can result in a safer, more resilient jurisdiction, and one that is more
attractive to families and businesses.
Categories of Mitigation
Mitigation categories are grouped into six categories.
• Prevention - Prevention measures are intended to keep a hazard risk problem from
getting worse; it ensures future development does not increase losses. Some
examples include: planning and zoning, open space preservation, land development
regulations, and storm water management.
• Property Protection - These measures are used to modify buildings and other
surroundings subject to hazard risk or their surroundings, rather than prevent the
hazard from occurring. These measures protect people and property at risk. Some
examples include: acquisition/public procurement and management of lands that
are vulnerable to damage from hazards; relocation/permanent evacuation of hazard
prone areas to safer areas; rebuilding and modifying structures to reduce damage