44.213 Emergency Management Fall 2015

Chapter 10 – Mitigation

School of Criminology and Justice Studies University of Massachusetts Lowell

Understand the general concepts and purposes behind mitigation

Know the types of structural mitigation actions that can be taken for various hazards

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of structural mitigation

List the different types of non‐structural mitigation that can be undertaken to reduce hazard losses

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of non‐structural mitigation

Outline key steps that can be taken to conduct mitigation planning

Identify job and volunteer opportunities in the field of mitigation

Be sufficiently motivated to undertake mitigation steps in their own homes and workplaces

What is Mitigation? It is the efforts used to lessen the impact of a disaster

Mitigation can dramatically influence: Who lives or dies

Which buildings survive

Length and cost of recovery

Mitigation efforts can be broken down into: Structural

Non‐Structural

1966: Presidential Executive Order 11296

Required federal agencies to reduce floodplain development

1980: First FEMA interagency hazard mitigation teams created

1992: FEMA Administrator makes mitigation a top priority

2001: Priority refocus to preparedness and response (Why?)

2005: Mitigation concern renewed after Katrina (Why?)

Centers on the built environment

Creating a “planned” environment that can resist area hazards appropriately Dams and levees

Retrofit in seismic areas

Tornado safe rooms

Sandbagging & elevating buildings

Blast resistant windows and concrete barriers

Goal is to reduce loss of life and injuries, as well as property damage

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2009 awarded the grade of "D" to our dams nation‐wide They define high hazard dams as those that would cause

considerable risk to life and property

Thousands of such locations exist across the U.S.

Bulk of the responsibility for maintenance and repair exists at the state government level

Estimates that billions of dollars annually would be needed for repairs

Similar grades were earned for bridges, ports, roads and other critical infrastructure

Many communities also enact building codes Require developers, builders and homeowners to:

o Secure building and other permits o Go through inspections for completed work o Comply with the building and other codes

Such rules exist to increase public safety o At times, builders and developers fight them (added cost)

Examples: Hurricane clamps Elevations Underground utility lines

Measured as a 7.0 event Far less powerful than the 8.8 earthquake that

rumbled through Chile the same year Approximately 800 people died in Chile More than 300,000 perished in Haiti Considerable differences between the two nations

Primary one is the ability to afford and enforce mitigation

Population density in areas close to the quake also made a difference Haiti earthquake struck a highly populated capitol city

Many communities contain older structures that may not meet current building codes

May be possible to retrofit structures However, retrofitting can range from simple to very

expensive May be difficult due to interior modifications

Part of the FEMA Disaster Recovery University (DRU) Initiative Conducted hazard identification and loss estimation for

various levels Focused on highest impact buildings and losses to the

university Concentrated funds to retrofit those buildings Should save the university and the larger community

considerably

Advantages Reduces loss of life, injuries and damage Cost of rebuilding lessened People return home faster Insurance companies don’t have to raise rates Lessens psychological impact Even creates recreational opportunities

Disadvantages Cost No single protection is perfect May lead to a false sense of security

o People may not evacuate

Advantages Reduces loss of life, injuries and damage Cost of rebuilding lessened People return home faster Insurance companies don’t have to raise rates Lessens psychological impact Even creates recreational opportunities

Disadvantages Cost No single protection is perfect May lead to false sense of security

o People may not evacuate

What is non-structural mitigation? The non‐built environment Land use planning Building codes and enforcement Public education Relocations Relocation ‐ Buyouts Insurance

The non‐built environment Actions people take to reduce the impacts of area hazards Involves choices about: o How and where we build o How we manage land o How we reduce potential losses via personal and

collective actions

Land use planning Future oriented activity; represents proactive behavior Involves two elements:

o Location – limit building in potentially hazardous areas o Design – determine most suitable design for structure

based on hazards First step is to link land use with mitigation planning

o Often the two efforts work separately

Building codes and enforcement Conducted by city planning offices and code inspectors Influenced by:

o Residents o Builders o City officials

Can be contentious, as it often limits choices People often take greater interest in codes after a disaster

o Write new codes o Increase enforcement o May displace people

Public education Many local and state governments conduct hazard

awareness events designed to catch your attention Communicating risk to the public and expecting them to

take the recommended actions can be challenging Most effective way is to transmit accurate information

through trusted networks o Local organizations o Faith‐based locations o Schools

Appealing to people’s altruistic nature can motivate them to pay attention to public education messages

Relocation When repetitive losses occur, one option is permanent

relocation Advantages o People no longer lose their homes/livelihoods o Reduces future costs for governments and insurance

providers Disadvantages o Permanent move away from family and friends o People’s home are often tied to jobs (farms, fishing, etc.) o Places often have cultural, environmental and historical

value

Relocation ‐ Buyouts Relocation may not be financially feasible o May mean loss of a significant economic investment

In cases where people need assistance to locate, government may offer a buyout o People agree to a fair market value for their property in

return for moving out of hazard area Federal government may offer up to 75% cost share with

state and local governments Properties may be used for parks or other open spaces

Relocation ‐ Buyouts (Cont.) Relocating businesses can be challenging o Public facilities that must relocate can use funding from

multiple sources o Private firms must pay their own costs

Soldiers Grove, WI o Repetitive flood damage to downtown o Levees-$3.5M to build; $10K annual maintenance costs

Downtown properties valued at $1M o Cost to relocate town is $6M

Insurance Provides a means to rebound from disasters However, many insurance policies do not cover flooding or

wind damage To make up for this, the U.S. govt. offers the National Flood

Insurance Program (NFIP) o Policies cost about $500 per year (houses covered up to

$250K; contents up to $100K) o To be eligible, communities must adopt and enforce

floodplain building prohibitions (zoning/planning board and conservation commission)

o Policy holder must pay deductible

Advantages Less costly than structural measures

o i.e. Pandemic reduction – washing hands Typically high return on investment

o Reduces loss of life, injuries and property loss

Disadvantages Requires attention to infrequent or unprecedented events

o People may ignore pre‐event advice Often relies on the individual, who may have limited

resources for mitigation o May not be able to afford insurance o Insurance may not cover all of or any portion of the even

Initiated by FEMA Administrator James Lee Witt in 1997 subsequent to Hurricane Floyd (flooding)

Emphasizes non‐structural techniques Four-pronged program

Identify/recruit PI partners in the community, such as local government, civic/volunteer groups, businesses and citizens

Define community's risk and exposure to natural disasters Set priorities and target resources to reduce impact of

future disasters Keep the community informed and focused on PI's ability to

reduce damage and costs of future disasters.

Outcome Built new partnerships that reduced risks Created a grass‐roots based solution to mitigation Not funded during the next administration as not “cost

effective”

FEMA has many programs that provide the same benefit as Project Impact did

Damage caused by earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding or other events can result in enormous losses Impacts of terrorism at a major sporting event An explosion at a campus lab

Initial steps: Develop a mitigation planning team Identify hazards and reduce Prioritize action areas Implementation of mesures

Saves lives and there are fewer injuries Less is property damage Minimizes economic disruption Lessens human impact Reduces agricultural damage Provides lifelines and infrastructure stabilized Helps with stress reduction and mental health Mitigates(?) legal liability

Source: FEMA, in Godschalk 1991

Reduces post disaster pressure With a plan in place you know what to do With a plan in place, you have priorities

The planning process can bring people together and build partnerships

Allows a community to approach the problem(s) holistically, without the burden of post‐disaster crisis

Risk reduction requires ideas from all It’s a complex process Life safety! Property safeguarding!

Source: FEMA #1, Intro

Source: FEMA 2002

Arnold, MO Example

Flood Year 1993 1995 2002

Sandbag sites 60 3 0

Public Assistance $1,436,277 $71,414 $0

Individual Assistance Applications 52 26 1

Organize resources Interested members Technical expertise

Assess risks What are the hazards? What are the consequences?

Develop a mitigation plan What are your priorities?

Implement the plan and monitor progress

Source: FEMA #1, Foreward

State government Federal government Private sector Citizens Academic institutions A powerful champion (Who?) Link to other planning (What?)

Source: FEMA #1, 1-12

Hold a kickoff meeting Set a regular schedule for meetings Assignments planning tasks based on skill sets Establish goals for the plan Use timelines and milestones Use available resources

FEMA U.S. Army Corps of Engineers State, local and regional emergency agencies Volunteer organizations, like the Red Cross