Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

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April 2004                                                                            Volume 6 - Number 3

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Perspectives...

Mitigation Works

Joseph F. Jeannette II

After an earthquake, flood, hurricane, terror incident, or any other disaster, communities undertake measures to better protect their residents. In fact, if a community is going to make improvements they will do it right after an event. Today communities are encouraged to apply for grants through the Federal government to prevent disasters. But the question is posed; can the community prevent the damages caused by a hurricane or terrorist attack from happening? I argue that a community can not prevent a disaster from happening, but they can reduce the effects of a disaster by adopting mitigation programs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers many mitigation programs to state and local government to reduce loss caused from disasters. For example, Hazard Mitigation Grants can provide communities incentives in reducing damages. A community can apply for this type of grant to begin an acquisition project. Through an acquisition, a community purchases homes in a flood prone area to help residents reduce loss. Once the community acquires the property they can re-develop it into a recreation area, for example a picnic area or bicycle path, for the community.

A simple and cost-benefit mitigation strategy for any community is to enforce building codes. If the community is located in an earthquake, hurricane, or flood prone area, the enforcement of building codes becomes crucial to save lives. For example, after the Alaska earthquake in 1964 the federal government assessed building codes in order to reduce the loss caused by earthquakes. Unlike the United States, many countries like Iran have proven that they need to improve their building codes. This past December earthquakes registering the same magnitude, 6.0 struck both Iran and California. Both areas had different outcomes due to the enforcement of building codes. City of Bam in Iran lost an estimate of 70% of their homes, while California only experienced minor structural damages. The enforcement of building codes is essential to reduce a community’s damages. By enforcing building codes a community can take steps to mitigate against structural damages.

The concept of shelter-in-place can be used as a mitigation tool to protect lives. Shelter-in-place is not the same as sheltering in a tornado but is similar. This mitigation tool is to identify a room in your house, place of work, or school that is small in size and does not have any outside windows. The area should act as a place to retreat. Sheltering-in-place provides an individual a safe haven to protect against a hazardous release of a substance into the environment. Similarly, when a hurricane or tornado is approaching it is advised to retreat to a room without any windows. Sheltering-in place can help protect against the loss of life.

No matter if it is an earthquake or terror incident mitigation can be used to reduce damages. As a community implements a mitigation strategy to enforce building codes to make buildings safer or if a community purchases property to reduce flooding, the community will not only minimize their property loss but save lives in future disasters.