Creating Risk Mitigation Strategies

A risk mitigation strategy is a community's plan for how it will address its identified risks. Effective mitigation strategies provide documentation of valuable local knowledge on the most efficient and effective ways to reduce losses from hazard events. For example, a strategy may articulate specific actions to help preserve a beach that protects private or public property. Creating and implementing hazard mitigation strategies is one of the most effective ways to protect a community's residents and property, and is nearly always more cost effective than repairing the damage after a storm event.

• To learn how to create a risk mitigation strategy, see the Federal Emergency Management Agency's useful Developing the Mitigation Plan guide. See especially, Section 2: Identify and Prioritize Mitigation Actions.
• Specific risk mitigation strategies are likely to be site specific. For technical assistance, contact the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management or the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's Floodplain Management Team.