Mitigating Disasters

Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Imagine if you or your family were caught in a terrible storm. Would your home protect you from fire, flooding, and other disasters? What would it mean to your business if your office was damaged?

That's why becoming disaster resistant is so important. It means acting now to reduce injuries and high costs later. Like the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

What are the benefits of mitigation planning?

• It allows individuals to minimize post-flood disaster disruptions and recover more rapidly. For example, homes built to NFIP standards incur less damage from floods. When floods do cause damages, flood insurance protects the homeowner's investment, as it did for the more than 200,000 Gulf Coast residents who received more than $23 billion in payments following the 2005 hurricanes.
• It creates safer communities by reducing loss of life and property damage. For example, the rigorous building standards adopted by 20,000 communities across the country are saving the nation more than $1.1 billion a year in prevented flood damages.
• It lessens the financial impact on individuals, communities, and society as a whole. For example, a recent study by the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council shows that each dollar spent on mitigation saves society an average of four dollars.

View safety tips for potential disaster threats.