Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

A Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is a community-driven, long-term strategic plan that identifies natural hazards, assesses the risks and vulnerabilities those hazards pose to the community, and develops strategies and projects to reduce or eliminate the potential long-term risks.

In simple terms, it's a guide developed before a disaster strikes to lessen the impact of future events. It aims to break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. By encouraging whole-community involvement, assessing risk and using a range of resources, we can reduce risk to people, economies and natural environments.

Municipal staff and consultants use a phased process to prepare the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, which follows FEMA and MassEPA (MEMA) requirements, along with the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit.