2023 State Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
Every five years, the State of Connecticut updates its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) standards. Connecticut is currently leading a plan update for 2023.
The Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is meant to guide the actions that Connecticut will take to reduce risk from disasters over the next five years and beyond. This Plan includes an assessment of the natural hazards that can impact the State and a strategy to reduce the impacts and build resilience. It will be integrated with new and existing state-level plans, resilience programs, and local and multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plans throughout Connecticut.
This year, the Plan will also take a much closer look at how future conditions—including climate, population, and development—will impact the hazards and how equity can be further elevated and integrated into the strategy. In line with Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 21-3, the Plan will utilize climate change data to support the implementation of mitigation actions across state agencies. Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) data will be used to explore the impacts of climate change on the natural hazards affecting the State. These additional focus areas will ensure that Connecticut responsibly and equitably plans actions and projects that will effectively mitigate risk from natural hazards for many years to come.
What is Hazard Mitigation?
Hazard mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property from hazards, such as flooding, winter storms, or hurricanes. Disasters can cause a loss of life, damage to buildings and infrastructure, and have long-lasting impacts on a community’s economic, social, and environmental well-being. To help prevent this, mitigation actions are taken, such as public education and outreach programs, elevating buildings above potential floodwaters, or strengthening building codes to ensure new buildings can withstand hurricane-force winds.
The purpose of mitigation planning is to both protect people and structures from damage and to minimize the costs of disaster response and recovery. Connecticut is focused on proactive hazard mitigation planning to reduce risk and create a safer, more disaster-resilient community
Planning Process
Connecticut’s hazard mitigation planning process has six steps:
Get Involved
Public participation is critical for a successful natural hazard mitigation plan. The valuable knowledge from Connecticut residents and businesses helps to produce a plan that reflects what matters most to people living and working throughout the state.
Opportunities to provide information, input, and feedback will be available throughout the planning process. You can get involved by participating in the following:
- Take the Public Hazard Mitigation Survey
- Explore some of the natural hazard risk areas in Connecticut and tell us about natural hazard problems areas you’ve noticed
- Sign up for notifications about news and updates regarding the NHMP, including upcoming ways to get involved
Other Resources