Step 1: Establish mitigation goals.

First review and analyze the results of the Risk Assessment’s Hazards Profiles and, if completed, the Loss Estimation. Reviewing these findings will help clarify problems, issues, and opportunities for hazard mitigation. Develop a list of problem statements that explain what the community wants to achieve with the plan.

Step 2: Identify and prioritize mitigation actions.

Hazard mitigation strategies to reduce specific risks can vary from very simple to complex. They are comprised of one or more hazard mitigation actions that help achieve goals. There are so many different hazard mitigation actions that they are often classified into four types:

• Local plans and regulations
• Structure and infrastructure projects
• Natural systems protection
• Education and awareness programs

Step 3: Prepare the implementation strategy.

There will be a variety of hazard mitigation actions in the hazard mitigation strategy, and multiple ways to implement them.

• Evaluate alternative hazard mitigation actions to determine the best course of action.
• Identify who will implement the hazard mitigation actions - Some actions will be carried out by the public sector, and some through the private sector.
• Identify sources of funding and technical assistance - Some actions will be accomplished pre-disaster and some will not be feasible until after a disaster when post-disaster funding sources are available.
• Identify when actions should be completed - Some actions will be accomplished in the short term and others will require up to years to accomplish.

The implementation strategy is an essential part of the hazard mitigation plan. The implementation strategy identifies who is responsible for which actions, how the hazard mitigation actions will be funded, and when the actions are to be completed.

Step 4: Document the planning process.

Initiation and Development

• Make Decisions About the Document - There are some decisions to make before putting the plan document together: How long should the plan be? How detailed? What is the schedule? Who should write it?
• Write the Plan - Writing the hazard mitigation plan involves assembling information and write-ups from previous phases of the hazard mitigation planning process.

Implementation and Monitoring

• Adopt the plan
• Implement the plan recommendations
• Evaluate planning results
• Revise the plan