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Foreword
The term " hazard mitigation " describes actions that
can help reduce or eliminate long-term risks caused by natural
hazards, or disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires,
tornadoes and earthquakes. After disasters, repairs and reconstruction
are often completed in such a way as to simply restore damaged
property to pre-disaster conditions. These efforts may expedite
a return to normalcy, but the replication of pre-disaster conditions
often results in a repetitive cycle of damage, reconstruction,
and repeated damage. Hazard mitigation is needed to break this
repetitive cycle by producing less vulnerable conditions through
post-disaster repairs and reconstruction. The implementation of
such hazard mitigation actions now by state and local governments
means building stronger, safer and smarter communities that will
be able to reduce future injuries and future damage.
The Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation Plan provides both
short-term and long-term strategies for implementing hazard mitigation
measures by state agencies as well as local municipalities throughout
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This plan accomplishes this
by identifying actions that will lower the risks and lower the
costs of natural hazards.
For a copy of the plan, click here
For additional information on the plan, contact Richard Zingarelli, State Hazard Mitigation Officer, at 617-626-1406.
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