There are many sources of hazard information available to assist the planning team. A few data sources include:

• Interview the planning team and stakeholders about which hazards pose risks to the planning area and should be described in the mitigation plan.
• Consider interviewing elders and other community members.
• Document the disaster declaration history of the planning area.
• Review existing studies, reports, and plans related to flooding, wildfire, geological, and other hazards.
• Review the State hazard mitigation plan and the hazard mitigation plans of adjacent jurisdictions. These plans may provide insight to already-identified hazards in the planning area.
• State and Federal agencies are also good sources for hazard-related information. For example, the USGS studies landslides and earthquakes; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains information on ice jams, dams, and levees; and NOAA is an excellent source of severe weather and climatic information.
• Contact colleges or universities that have hazard-related academic programs or extension services.
• Consult local resources such as the newspaper, chamber of commerce, local historical society, and other resources with records of past occurrences.
• Base Level Engineering data is being produced over large swaths of the United States that are at risk to floods.

For plan updates, reference previously identified hazards and determine if they are still fitting. Include sources of information and lists of references in the plan.