Disaster risk reduction good practices?

[marthinus]

Hi there.

Does anyone have electronic pdf's of good practices in regards to disaster risk reduction or any case studies of disaster risk reduction being implemented correctly?

I can't seem to find anything on the internet.....Probably because its 1 in the morning

[Richmond Jake]

Here's a link to the Florida Division of Emergency Services. Hope this helps.

http://www.floridadisaster.org/Mitigation/index.htm

I think I have a link or two to individual County plans at work. I'll try to remember to post them tomorrow.

[Cardinal]

I have worked in a few disaster response situation. There are so many things that can be done beforehand, but rarely are. The best thing to do is to conduct an exercise with all city staff participating. If the only ones involved are police and fire, you've missed the boat. Utilities, public works, planning, economic development, finance, the city clerk and everyone else needs to participate.

Assume that your city has just been wiped out by a flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, giant lizard, ufo attack, or whatever else you think is possible. From a planning perspective, imagine what you would need to do to get the city redeveloping. Then picture doing it without anything that is in your office building right now. It is a pile of burned out rubble or washed out to sea. No computers. No files. No maps. Missing staff.

How will you expedite surveys, especially when nearly all of the monumentation is gone?

How will you review and approve development applications?

How will you issue building permits and conduct inspections?

What kind of planning will be conducted to guide redevelopment?

For the economic developers, how will you help to reestablish businesses?

Oh, one last thing. Most cities seem to address their disaster preparedness through a mutual aid agreement with another community. So who's to say that the same Tornado, or Mothra, or earthquake isn't going to level them as well?

[JNA]

You should Google County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

[marthinus]

Thank you everyone.

Your replies already helped a lot!

[Richmond Jake]

Here's the Local Mitigation Strategy from Walton County FL that might help.

http://www.co.walton.fl.us/default.asp?id=379

Google Local Mitigation Strategy Florida and you'll find more.

We have one, but I think it's on a shelf....somewhere.

[Chet]

You should Google County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Agreed.

BTW this is my bread and butter nowadays.

[Fat Cat]

I would agree with everything that has been said here
I have experience and what that has taught me, is that what you plan for is not what usually what happens
But the practices get you and the team ready so that you can be flexible when it does happen abd respond rather than react

[JNA]

E-mail from APA -

The Economic Benefits of Hazard Mitigation PlanningStory County, Iowa, has successfully incorporated its hazard mitigation planning into a strategic economic development strategy. Although Story County was one of 85 Iowa counties flooded and declared Presidential Disaster Areas after last June’s historic flooding, impacts to residential and commercial properties were not as great as in other areas of the state—a result largely attributed to mitigation practices undertaken after past events.
In a Fall Planner Spotlight, Story County Planning and Zoning Director Leanne A. Harter, AICP, explains not only why planning for hazards is vital for a community’s recovery and economic stability in the wake of a disaster, but also how to do it.

The October issue of EDA Update also is available now. You can find it, and lots more about APA’s partnership with the Economic Development Administration, on the new APA website.

http://www.planning.org/eda/spotlight/2008/fall.htm

useful resource mentioned:
Mitigation Planning How-To Guide #8: Multi-Jurisdictional Mitigation Planning (FEMA 386-8),