Local hazard mitigation plans: a preliminary estimation of state-level completion from 2004 to 2009

Area of Science:

• Disaster management and policy analysis.
• Local government administration and compliance.
• Emergency preparedness and hazard mitigation.

Background:

• Federal policy mandates Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs) for local governments to access disaster relief funds.
• The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 established a deadline for HMP approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• Compliance with HMP requirements is crucial for community resilience and federal funding eligibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent of local government compliance with HMP requirements.
• To identify factors influencing HMP completion rates across different states.
• To investigate the role of multijurisdictional entities in HMP development.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of FEMA's database of approved Hazard Mitigation Plans.
• Utilization of US Census Bureau's 2002 Survey of Local Governments data.
• Follow-up examination in 2009 focusing on states with the lowest HMP completion rates.

Main Results:

• Significant non-compliance with HMP requirements persists, with 67% of local governments lacking approved plans years after the deadline.
• HMP completion rates varied widely by state and did not correlate with wealth or hazard vulnerability.
• The vast majority (92%) of approved HMPs were developed by multijurisdictional entities, indicating low single-government participation.

Conclusions:

• Federal policy has not achieved widespread HMP adoption by local governments.
• State-level factors alone do not explain the disparities in HMP completion.
• Further research at the local government level is essential to understand and address barriers to HMP development and approval.