Update of the State Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan   Natural hazards such as floods and severe winter storms affect the state each year, causing property damage, power outages, traffic congestion, public and private expenditures, and sometimes injury or death. Hazard mitigation reduces damage to property, injury, and loss of life by supporting sustained actions that prevent or reduce effects of natural hazards.    The draft of the 2019 Update to the State Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is now available for review. The draft was developed through a series of meetings with state and local stakeholder and subject matter experts.     The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection/Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) is seeking input from municipal chief elected officials, emergency managers, planners, and other interested parties.   To access the draft, as well as a sheet outlining the changes/updates made to the plan, please visit the DESPP/DEMHS website at https://www.ct.gov/demhs/cwp/view.asp?a=4490&q=606262   Please provide comments, suggestions by email to DEMHS.HMGP@ct.gov by Tuesday, November 13, 2018.

Connecticut adopted a Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (CT 2014 NHMP Update) in January 2014 to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines set forth in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. This Plan represents the State of Connecticut’s efforts to approach mitigating the effects of natural disasters on a multi-hazard basis, and shifts from a disaster-response driven system to one based on effective hazard mitigation planning.

The implementation of effective mitigation of natural hazards requires on-going planning and dedicated persistence both on a state and local level to maintain what has been done in the past and to improve upon past efforts to strive for implementing the most protection possible from natural hazards.

The related strategies and activities outlined in this Plan provide a guide to assist Connecticut in working towards achieving these goals that will be implemented or initiated during the time period encompassing this Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan update. The goals themselves are achievable, yet they require adequate resources such as financial and staff resources to achieve significant results. The State of Connecticut believes in the importance of natural hazards mitigation planning and implementation of hazard mitigation activities both on a state and local level in order to reduce/eliminate lives lost and property damaged as a result of natural hazards. The State also believes that climate change and adaptation techniques are an area of continued concern for which new policies and strategies will need to be developed.

The adoption of this Plan allows Connecticut to be eligible for Federal funding equal to 15% of the total disaster damages from a presidentially declared disaster under the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

FEMA Approval letter of CT 2014 NHMP Update

CT 2014 NHMP Update State Adoption Letter

CT 2014 NHMP Update

The adopted Connecticut 2014 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (CT 2014 NHMP Update) is available to download.  For questions or comments please contact Karen Michaels at Karen.Michaels@ct.gov or at (860) 424-3779. 

Content Last Updated November 2018