Hazard mitigation is the effort to reduce the likelihood or impact of a natural or man-made disaster on a community. It can involve a variety of activities, including:

1. Identifying and assessing potential hazards and their impacts on the community.
2. Developing and implementing strategies and actions to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with those hazards.
3. Building infrastructure and implementing land-use policies that reduce the vulnerability of the community to hazards.
4. Establishing emergency plans and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of residents in the event of a disaster.

Hazard mitigation can be carried out by a variety of organizations, including local and state governments, non-profit organizations, and community groups. It is an important aspect of disaster risk reduction and can help to reduce the overall costs associated with disasters, both in terms of human lives and economic damages.

About This Project

Santa Cruz County updated the previous MJHMP under the requirements of the Federal Stafford Act, the National Flood Insurance Act, and 44 Code of Federal Regulations. The last plan was approved and adopted by the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (AZDEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Santa Cruz County, and participating jurisdictions in 2018.  Santa Cruz County is currently working on updating the current MJHMP.

Santa Cruz County and participating jurisdictions will benefit from this revision by:

• Ensuring eligibility for all sources of hazard mitigation funds made available through FEMA.
• Increasing public awareness and understanding of vulnerabilities and support for specific actions to reduce losses from future natural disasters.
• Ensuring community policies, programs, and goals are compatible with reducing vulnerability to all hazards and identifying incompatible ones.
• Building partnerships with diverse stakeholders to leverage data and resources to reduce workloads and achieve shared community objectives.
• Expanding the understanding of potential risk reduction measures, including local plans and regulations, structure and infrastructure projects, natural systems protection, education and awareness programs, and other tools for a resilient community.
• Informing the development, prioritization, and implementation of mitigation projects as benefits accrue over the life of a project as losses are avoided from subsequent hazard events.

Project Schedule

The following is the proposed project schedule:

• Kickoff - November 2022
• Planning Team Formation - December 2022
• Milestone 1 - Community Descriptions and Public Comment/Involvement - December 2022
• Milestone 2 - Hazard Identification and Capability Assessments - January 2023
• Milestone 3 - Mitigation Actions - February 2023
• Plan Revision Complete and posted for review - March 2023
• Plan to ADEMA - end March 2023
• Public Comment on the revised plan closes - at the end of March 2023
• Plan to FEMA - April 2023
• Plan adoption by County and Jurisdictions - May 2023

Request for Comment

Santa Cruz County is pleased to announce the completion of the Draft Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). The MJHMP is a comprehensive document that outlines strategies to reduce the vulnerability of our community to natural and man-made hazards. As part of our commitment to transparency and community engagement, we invite you to review the draft plan and provide valuable feedback.

You can access the document electronically at the link below. Alternatively, hard copies are available for review at the Office of Emergency Management during normal business hours. We encourage you to carefully review the draft MJHMP and provide your comments, suggestions, or concerns.

Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft

Hazard Mitigation Plan Questionnaire

A planning team comprised of representatives from the Santa Cruz County, Arizona Department of Emergency Management and other Santa Cruz County communities and organizations will participate in the update of the county’s Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for Santa Cruz County, according to The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K). 

The DMA2K requires all local, county, tribal, and state governments to have a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible for federal hazard mitigation funds. The plan will focus on the area’s most threatening hazards to citizens and property and will provide a strategy to reduce or eliminate the risk from those hazards

Community members who wish to provide input for consideration during the revision process can do so at the link or by scanning the QR code below:

2018 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan

• Santa Cruz County - Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018