Hazard Mitigation Planning

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

Connecticut Hazard Mitigation Ongoing Planning Efforts

The following list represents some of the current and ongoing hazard mitigation planning and partnership groups that the DEMHS Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency Unit participates in. For more information on hazard mitigation planning, please email DEMHS.HMGP@ct.gov

• Connecticut Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (2023) 
  • For more information on the 2023 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, click here
• Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan
• Interagency Drought Working Group
• National Mitigation Framework

Planning Process

Connecticut’s hazard mitigation planning process has six steps: