Local mitigation plans identify the natural hazards that may affect a single or multiple local jurisdictions, such as a town, city, or county. Plans assess risks and vulnerabilities, identify actions to reduce losses from those hazards identified, and establish a coordinated process to implement the plan using a wide range of public and private investments.
FEMA requires local governments to develop and adopt such hazard mitigation plans as a condition for receiving certain types of non-emergency disaster assistance, including funding for mitigation projects. Jurisdictions must update their hazard mitigation plans and re-submit them for FEMA approval every five years to maintain eligibility.
its municipalities adopted a substantially revised version of the Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS). The new LMS was found in compliance by the Florida Division of Emergency Management in July 2016, and by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in August 2016. This substantially revised version was updated in 2021 in accordance 44 CFR 201.6. The 2021 LMS was found in compliance by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on October 18, 2021.
All the municipalities as well as the County have passed ordinances or resolutions adopting the 2021 LMS. Because it includes a comprehensive analysis of the County’s and municipalities’ floodplain areas and floodplain management strategies, as well as analyses of all other hazards by which the County is threatened, the 2021 LMS serves as the County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan as provided in Section 510 of the Community Rating System (CRS) Coordinator’s Manual.
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