Glen Burnie, MD - Anne Arundel County has officially adopted its 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan update, a comprehensive document developed by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) with the Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee and various Federal, State, and local stakeholders. This plan is crucial for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks posed by natural and human-caused hazards. Updated and adopted every five years, it forms a cornerstone of the county's long-term strategy to protect lives, property, and infrastructure.
The Hazard Mitigation Plan serves as both a roadmap for addressing specific risks to the community and satisfies requirements under federal law. The adoption of a local Hazard Mitigation Plan enables the County to access a variety of funding assistance streams that support mitigation projects and builds community resilience, such as FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program.
These programs offer crucial funding to substantially reduce or permanently eliminate future risks to lives and property from natural hazards. They support mitigation projects that address repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and prioritize initiatives that mitigate risk to community lifelines. Additionally, these programs incentivize nature-based solutions and increase funding for applicants who facilitate the adoption and enforcement of the latest building codes.
“This document represents a continual investment in our community,” said Preeti Emrick, OEM Director. “By identifying the hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities and prioritizing projects, we are capable of building community resilience that helps us to prepare for the types of disasters that impact our community.”
Developing the plan is a multi-year process that involves collaboration between County departments, municipalities, public utilities, nonprofit partners, and Community stakeholders. OEM coordinates the effort by compiling data from multiple sources on historical hazards and their impacts on life, property, and infrastructure. The process also includes Community input through public meetings and surveys, allowing residents to voice concerns and help shape local mitigation priorities. The data is used to meet National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements and to identify areas experiencing repetitive and severe property loss from flooding.
The final document outlines recommended actions the County can implement, ranging from supporting flood mitigation infrastructure projects and addressing repetitive flooding on major highways and roadways to expanding public education campaigns and enhancing emergency communications. Each action is evaluated for cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and alignment with the County's overall resilience goals.
As Anne Arundel County continues to grow, the Hazard Mitigation Plan serves as both a preparedness tool and a commitment to future generations. It demonstrates that building resilience is not just about responding to each disaster year after year, but also about considering where community-wide mitigation projects offer sound investments for our community's future.
The Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 update can be accessed from the County website: https://www.aacounty.org/emergency-management/hazard-mitigation-plan-2025-update
An alternate format is available upon request. Contact the Office of Emergency Management at 410-222-0600 or oem@aacounty.org TTY users, please call via Maryland Relay 7-1-1.