Laserfiche WebLink
1 . 0 PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW <br /> 1 . 1 PURPOSE <br /> According to Mileti ( 1999 ) , 7 of the 10 most costly disasters in histoiy , based on <br /> dollar losses , occurred between 1989 and 1994 : Hurricane Andrew ( 1992 ) , Oa < land wildfire <br /> ( 1991 ) , a winter storm ( 1993) , Hurricane Iniki ( 1992 ) , Loma Prieta earthquake 1989 ) , <br /> Midwest floods ( 1993 ) , and Northridge earthquake ( 1994 ) ( Miletti , 1999 ) . In the year 2000 , <br /> the Federal Emergency Management Agency' s ( FEMA' s ) recognition of the gr wing costs of <br /> responding to and recovering from disasters materialized in the Disaster Mitigation Act of <br /> 2000 ( DMA2K) . DMA2K created a new Pre- Disaster Mitigation ( PDM ) program aimed at <br /> reducing the cost of disasters as well as risk through comprehensive planning :)efore <br /> disasters occur . DMA2K requires that all communities , tribes , and states have a <br /> FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan consistent with the DMA2K requirements in place to <br /> retain eligibility for PDM project funds and post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program <br /> funds . <br /> Florida is one of the most hazard prone states in the nation . The state is <br /> susceptible to a number of hazards including flooding , hurricanes , tornadoes , severe <br /> thunderstorms , and wildland fires , to name a few. In Florida , the goals of the rew PDM <br /> program are being achieved through the Local Mitigation Strategy ( LMS ) process . LMS is a <br /> pre-disaster mitigation planning initiative of the Florida Department of Community Affairs <br /> ( FDCA) Division of Emergency Management, and is intended to reduce the disrupting <br /> effects of natural disasters on the economic and social fabric of the community . Pre-disaster <br /> mitigation is defined as "sustained action that reduces or eliminates long -term risk to people <br /> and property from hazards and their effects" as part of the FEMA' s National Mitigation <br /> Strategy ( FEMA, 1996 ) . <br /> This definition generally distinguishes between actions that have a ong -term <br /> impact from those that are more closely associated with preparedness for, immediate <br /> response to , and short-term recovery from a specific hazard event . The intent of the LMS is <br /> to focus on practices that have cumulative benefits over time and ensure that fewer of the <br /> State 's citizens and communities are victims of disasters . One of the most important <br /> elements is the idea that the resulting mitigation practices are instituted prior to the disaster <br /> occurring . <br /> Mitigation practices can be applied to strengthen homes so that people and their <br /> belongings are better protected from hurricanes , tropical storms , and inland fIc ods . <br /> Pre-disaster mitigation planning can be used to identify and protect at- risk criti al facilities , <br /> such as hospitals and fire stations , so they can remain operational or reopen c uicker after a <br /> hazard event . Mitigation planning allows communities to consider the vulnerability of land <br /> that is currently undeveloped but may be developed in the future , as well as the risk to <br /> people and property on existing developed land . The consideration of the potential for <br /> damage to properties in vulnerable areas and implementation of actions to reduce the <br /> impact can go a long way towards eliminating the disruption a disaster occurrence creates in <br /> the community . <br /> The purpose of the Indian River County LMS is to develop a unified approach <br /> among County and municipal governments for dealing with identified hazardsand hazard <br /> 1 - 1 <br />