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Hays County Hazard Mitigation Plan - Introduction <br />Introduction <br />Background of Hazard Mitigation and Mitigation Planning <br />Hazard mitigation is the use of long and short term planning strategies to reduce or alleviate the loss of <br />life, personal injury and property damage that can result from a disaster. It involves strategies such as <br />planning, policy changes, programs, projects and other activities that can mitigate the impacts of hazards. <br />It is impossible to predict exactly when and where disasters will occur or the extent to which they will <br />impact an area. However, with careful planning and collaboration among public agencies, stakeholders, <br />and citizens, it is possible to minimize losses that disasters can cause. The responsibility for hazard <br />mitigation lies with many, including private property owners; business and industry; and local, State, and <br />Federal government. <br />The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA) is Federal legislation that requires proactive, pre-disaster <br />planning as a prerequisite for certain funding available under the Robert T. Stafford Act. The DMA <br />encourages State and local authorities to work together on pre-disaster planning. The planning network <br />called for by the DMA helps local governments articulate accurate needs for mitigation, resulting in faster <br />allocation of funding and more cost-effective risk reduction projects. An approved Hazard Mitigation <br />Plan (HMP) is a requirement in order for the County to remain eligible for some project grants that are <br />administered by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), the Texas Water Development <br />Board (TWDB) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). <br />History of Hays County Mitigation Planning <br />Hays County and a partnership of local governments within the County have developed and maintained <br />an HMP to reduce risks from natural hazards and to comply with the DMA. In April 2003, Hays County <br />initiated the development of its first HMP. The initial Hays County HMP was approved in 2006, and <br />established the County’s long-term strategy for reducing its risks from natural hazards. (A copy of the <br />original Plan is available through the Hays County Office of Emergency Services.) The 2011 Hays County <br />HMP update included reevaluation of the original hazards, risk assessment, mitigation goals, strategies, <br />and mitigation priorities to identify changes and updates that may have occurred since approval and <br />adoption of the original plan. <br />6 <br /> <br />