When a major natural event strikes, it is often described as a natural disaster.
Natural disasters and their aftermath have long affected humans and the built environment. Pre-disaster hazard mitigation is about preventing or minimizing the physical, financial, and human impacts of natural disasters; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) describes hazard mitigation as “sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk from hazards and their effects.”
Identifying the region’s likely hazards, assessing their impact, and determining what can be done to reduce or eliminate the risk they pose to people and property: this planning process will meet these goals and compile a plan for the New River Valley to implement policies, programs and projects that will build its resilience to disasters.
The New River Valley Regional Commission will work with locality staff, state and federal agencies, and stakeholders across the region over the coming months to complete the work and publish a plan that identifies the hazards, their risks, the region’s vulnerability and the strategies to minimize these vulnerabilities. Input from all participants will contribute to the success of the planning process and build partnerships for future success.
Your contribution is valuable to the process, so please continue to participate in the process in the ways that best fit your availability. The site will be updated at least monthly with new information from our working groups, surveys, and requests for feedback as well as plans for in-person events.
For more information: https://www.engagenrv.org/hazard-mitigation-plan.
New River Valley Regional Commission
