Task 5: Conduct Risk Assessment – Overview

Task 5: Conduct Risk Assessment

Overview

The planning team will carry out a risk assessment to verify the potential impacts of disasters on your community’s economy, environment, and people. The risk evaluation will serve as the foundation for the remaining mitigation planning process that focuses on prioritizing and acknowledging actions to diminish risks. Additionally, the risk appraisal can also be used to set up emergency preparedness and response efforts; notify land use and comprehensive scheduling; and ease decision making for the community’s elected representatives, different organizations, businesses, and the city and county departments.

Task 5 provides an outline to carry out a local risk appraisal. To develop a risk assessment, various approaches are possible depending on available resources, technology, and data. Although local risk assessments do not need sophisticated technology, it must be relevant, in progress, and accurate. Certain communities may decide to tackle a wider range of hazards and threats, or link their hazard acknowledgment and risk assessment to other mitigation planning activities.

Researchers have identified the following best practices in previous Hazard Mitigation Plans:
• A map displaying locations in the planning area affected by each hazard
• A table or map displaying the history of each hazard in the planning area
• The integration of the potential impacts of climate change into the risk assessment
• A section detailing potential technological and human caused hazards
• Maps displaying areas vulnerable to hazards relative to identified socially vulnerable populations
• Maps of major economic centers relative to areas vulnerable to identified hazards
• Maps of critical facilities relative to areas vulnerable to identified hazards
• Maps of future development relative to areas vulnerable to identified hazards
• A table showing projected losses for different storm scenarios
• A table showing projected losses for different development scenarios
• Using a Priority Risk Index to quantify vulnerability

Task 5 Requirements
Element B1: The risk appraisal must describe the extent, location, and type of all hazards and threats that can have an effect on the jurisdiction. 44 CFR §201.6(c)(2)(i)

Element D1: A local jurisdiction must assess and modify its mitigation plan to reveal developmental changes. 44 CFR §201.6(d)(3)