Local Hazard Mitigation Planning

Local mitigation planning helps communities understand the hazards they face and identify long-term actions that can reduce future disaster impacts. These plans support informed decision-making, strengthen resilience, and help communities prioritize projects before disasters happen.

TEMA supports local mitigation planning across Tennessee by working with counties, municipalities, and participating jurisdictions. This support includes guidance, coordination, and technical assistance throughout the planning process.

Purpose of Local Plans

Local hazard mitigation plans provide a framework for identifying community risks, setting priorities, and developing mitigation actions. They help local governments and participating jurisdictions plan ahead, reduce vulnerabilities, and make decisions that support long-term risk reduction.

What Local Plans Support

Local hazard mitigation plans help communities:

  • Identify and assess local hazard risks.
  • Evaluate vulnerabilities and potential impacts.
  • Prioritize future mitigation projects.
  • Establish mitigation goals and actions.
  • Support long-term resilience and risk reduction.
  • Strengthen future planning and project development.

Planning Support

TEMA provides guidance and technical assistance to support local mitigation planning, plan maintenance, and plan updates. Each region has a planner available to help communities with planning questions and related support needs.

For assistance, contact your regional office to connect with the planner for your area.

Plan Maintenance and Updates

Local hazard mitigation planning is an ongoing process. Plans should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current risks, completed mitigation actions, changing conditions, and community priorities.

Maintaining an up-to-date plan helps communities remain prepared to pursue future mitigation projects and funding opportunities..

Planning Tools and Dashboards

TEMA provides and links to planning tools, dashboards, and data resources that can help communities support local hazard mitigation planning. These resources include TEMA-managed tools as well as data and dashboards maintained by partner agencies or external organizations.

Use these resources to review hazard data, explore planning information, and better understand mitigation activity across Tennessee.

Available resources include:

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Status Dashboard