Hazard Mitigation - One Component of a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

A full copy of the most recent Hazard Mitigation Plan is available upon request. To view a specific area of the Plan, please click on the applicable section(s) below:

Plan Sections	Jurisdictions	Appendices
Cover and Table of Contents	Apex	Appendix A: Plan Review Tool
Section 1: Introduction	Cary	Appendix B: Planning Process Documentation
Section 2: Planning Process	Fuquay-Varina	Appendix C: Mitigation Alternatives
Section 3: Planning Area Profile	Garner	Appendix D: References
Section 4: Risk Assessment	Holly Springs
Section 5: Capability Assessment	Knightdale
Section 6: Mitigation Strategy	Morrisville
Section 7: Mitigation Action Plan	Raleigh
Section 8: Plan Maintenance	Rolesville
	Wake Forest
	Wendell
	Zebulon
	Wake County

 

The natural environment is amazingly resilient to the forces of wind, rain, fire, and earth, and can regenerate, restoring habitat and ecosystems in time for the next generation of plant and animal life to begin anew. The built environment, however, is not as resilient. Natural disasters occur when human activity in the form of buildings, infrastructure, agriculture, and other land uses is located in the path of the destructive forces of nature.

Since the built environment is more susceptible to natural hazards and cannot recover as quickly as the natural environment, communities impacted by a natural hazard often recover only over a long period of time and at great social and economic cost. In recent years, the frequency and impact of natural disasters have increased not because natural hazards occur more frequently, but because more people are choosing to live and work in locations that put them and their property at risk.

While natural hazards cannot be prevented, local communities can use various means to reduce the susceptibility of people and property to damage. Preparing for natural hazards involves establishing a comprehensive emergency management system consisting of the following four component activities:

1. Preparedness activities undertaken to improve a community’s ability to respond immediately after a disaster. Preparedness activities include developing response procedures, designing and installing warning systems, conducting exercises to test emergency operational procedures, and training emergency personnel.
2. Response activities designed to meet the urgent needs of disaster victims. Response activities occur during the disaster and include rescue operations, evacuation, emergency medical care, and shelter programs.
3. Recovery activities designed to rebuild after a disaster. These activities include repairs to damaged public facilities such as roads and bridges, restoration of public services such as power and water, and other activities that help restore normal services to a community.
4. Hazard mitigation activities are designed to reduce or eliminate damage from future hazardous events. These activities can occur before, during, and after a disaster, and overlap all phases of emergency management.

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and NC Senate Bill 300 each require local government to have an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan. Plans can be individual or multi-jurisdictional, and once approved, must be updated every 5 years. Failure to maintain an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan will result in ineligibility to receive federal and state pre- and post-disaster assistance funds.

Contact

For specific questions about this plan, Town services, or operations, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 outside Town limits, or email 311@carync.gov.