What is Hazard Mitigation?

Hazard mitigation refers to actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to people and property from natural hazards. It involves identifying potential hazards and vulnerabilities and implementing strategies to minimize their impact before, during, and after disasters. This proactive approach aims to break the cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage associated with disasters.

Having a hazard mitigation plan enables the city to increase hazard resilience and ​maintain eligibility for hazard mitigation funding. The hazard mitigation plan is required to be updated and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) every 5 years. The next plan update for Ann Arbor is set for 2027.

Ann Arbor's Hazard Mitigation Plan

The 2022 Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF) was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after final approval by City Council on November 10, 2022.

City staff meet bi-annually to discuss progress on goals laid out in the hazard mitigation plan. You can view progress notes here: 

May 2025 Hazard Mitigation Annual Progress Report