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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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April
2005
Volume 8 - Number 3 |
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Report on FEMA’s Mitigation Best Practices Portfolio David Talbot FEMA has recently placed a searchable database of case studies on its web site, based on recent mitigation projects from around the country. The theme of these studies is that while we face real risks from many hazards, there are many things we can do that are very effective in mitigating the dangers and damages. The page can be found at http://www.fema.gov/fima/bp.shtm. The case studies are typically less than 500 words long and are well written, using testimonials and pictures. The texts are followed by summaries which include details such as the location, the hazards mitigated, the project costs, and sources of funding. The studies seem to have been written for mixed audiences, in that some are written from the point of view of individual landowners, while others are written as a summary of citywide efforts. They don’t include enough information to practically carry out the mitigation projects, and aren’t meant to provide a complete list of the types of established practices from which to choose from. However, many of the people in the studies have already realized significant monetary benefits from undertaking the projects. This website would be primarily useful for someone who was deciding whether to undertake such a project, by providing a number of success stories that could show the economic benefits of mitigation. It could also provide some starting points for someone looking for more detailed information.
There are
currently 211 case studies in the database. The
most commonly mitigated hazard on the site is
flooding, which is
cited in 139 of the entries. This is
followed by hurricanes and tropical storms (42), earthquakes (30),
severe
storms (17), tornadoes (8), and fires (7). There
are several additional categories listed
on the site, but not all of them have been linked to studies yet. The hazards are commonly mitigated through
practices such as land use planning, buyouts, public awareness
activities,
building codes, the construction of shelters, or other structural
alternatives
such as floodwalls or improved drainage systems. The website encourages users to submit new materials for the site. New submissions can be entered on an online form, and the site provides some suggestions on how to write the text summary in a professional manner. The site also provides a well written 65 page publication entitled “Telling the Tale of Disaster Resistance: a guide to capturing and communicating the story.” This publication provides guidance on how to collect and document a mitigation effort in more detail. FEMA’s database is sure to grow as people submit more studies. The site is well written, and has a lot of good information. It sends a clear message that mitigation works. |