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Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Purpose of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

  • Ensure DuPage County and its municipalities qualify for federal funding, before and after a disaster occurs.
  • Identify common threats and hazards the County faces.
  • Develop common mitigation strategies, ensuring a comprehensive and regional approach is used.
  • Develop intergovernmental partnerships within the County.
  • Gain public insight and share public information, increasing residents’ knowledge and preparedness against the County’s threats and hazards.

What is Hazard Mitigation?

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), hazard mitigation is:

 “the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. It is most effective when implemented under a comprehensive, long-term mitigation plan. State, tribal, and local governments engage in hazard mitigation planning to identify risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural disasters, and develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future hazard events.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2017). Hazard Mitigation Planning. Retrieved on November 15, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning

History of the DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP)

The DuPage County NHMP was first developed in 2007, through a grant awarded to DuPage County Stormwater Management. In 2010, the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OHSEM) became the official governing body of the plan and the associated workgroup. Personnel from the OHSEM coordinated the 2012 plan update and 2013 plan adoption. Following the County’s adoption in May 2013, DuPage County municipalities adopted the plan.

2023 Plan Update (In Progress)

The DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OHSEM) in conjunction with the DuPage County departments of Stormwater Management, Building and Zoning, Public Works, and DuPage County Division of Transportation are working on the 5-year update of the DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.

DuPage County OHSEM will be hosting a public information and planning session to receive input from DuPage County residents regarding hazards that could impact the County. This public meeting is part of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is undergoing a mandatory 5-year update.

The meeting details are as follows:
Date & Time - Tuesday, March 21, 2023 | 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Location - DuPage County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management at 418 N. County Farm Road Wheaton, IL 60187

The meeting will provide the public an opportunity to review the hazards that could occur within the County and will request input for the various mitigation measures intended to eliminate or reduce the negative impact of those hazards. Language translation assistance in Spanish will be provided.

Unable to attend the meeting? DuPage County residents and businesses can help the County update its emergency preparedness plans by participating in a simple online questionnaire. Feedback from the voluntary and confidential 10-minute questionnaire will assist DuPage County in serving residents and businesses before, during, and after an emergency or disaster.

To complete the questionnaire, please visit:  http://dupage.preparedness.alchemer.com/s3/
The questionnaire will remain open until March 30, 2023.

For questions and/or to request a printed copy of the questionnaire, please contact:

Mia Gerace
Emergency Management Specialist
DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Office: (630) 407-2937 
Email: Mia.Gerace@dupageco.org

DuPageCounty.PublicMeetingNotice - Copy (3)

2017 Plan Update

On November 6th, 2017, the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in conjunction with the DuPage County departments of Stormwater Management, Building and Zoning, Public Works, and DuPage County Division of Transportation held a kick-off meeting to begin the 5 year update to the NHMP. Municipal representatives from Emergency Management, Stormwater, and Public Works were invited from all municipalities, cities, towns, and villages within and touching the County borders. Prior to the meeting, the County distributed a survey to each municipality requesting feedback on both the 2013 plan and the update.

The County worked to form a collaborative County and municipal workgroup to assist with the plan update, and coordinated a public outreach meeting and survey. The workgroup met to assess the County’s hazards, problems associated with each hazard, develop goals for the County as a whole, and developed mitigation strategies. The workgroup worked to ensure these strategies encompassed the following seven categories of mitigation:

  • Preventative Measures
  • Property Protection
  • Natural Resource Protection
  • Emergency Services
  • Structural Flood Control Projects
  • Public Information

The plan was reviewed by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and FEMA. Following the plans approval, the County Board and participating municipal boards adopted the plan through a formal resolution. For updates on meeting dates, times, locations, and publicly available surveys please check this page.

2017/2018 Meetings and Drafts

Public Input Survey for the DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 2017 Update.  (Now closed)

Meetings:

  • 2017 Plan Update Kick-Off Meeting.  Agenda here.
  • 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 2nd Update Meeting on December 7th, 2017 at 8:30-9:30 am. Agenda here.
  • 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 3rd Update Meeting on January 4th, 2018 at 8:30-9:30 am. Agenda here.
  • 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Meeting on January 4th, 2018 at 1:00-2:00 pm in the County Board Room at 421 N. County Farm Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Draft Materials for 2018 NHMP and Public Comment:

  • 2018 DRAFT Executive Plan Summary.  Summary here.
  • 2018 DuPage County DRAFT DuPage Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.  Plan here.
  • 2018 NHMP Public Comment.  (Now closed)

The DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) was submitted to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) for approval on January 22, 2018.  From there, the plan will have to gain the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) approval additionally.  Once the 2018 NHMP has been approved by both IEMA and FEMA, DuPage County may adopt the plan and then make it available to our municipalities.  Below is a link to the final plan that was submitted.

2018 NHMP Approval

The DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan has passed through IEMA and FEMA and is now in the process of being adopted by the County.  The link below has the final plan, with all updates, that were approved.

Annual Meetings and Annual Reports

2021

2020

2019

2018

Additional Information

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