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 consisting of designees from County departments as well as designees from each participating jurisdiction within the County. The 2023 update is DuPage County's fourth update. To maintain grant eligibility, FEMA requires that the plan be updated every five years.
2023 Plan Update
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 completed the 5-year update of the DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan was adopted by the DuPage County Board on June 27, 2023. The next update will take place in 2028.
2023 Plan Development Meetings
- 2023 NHMP Update Workshop for participating jurisdictions' designees on February 27, 2023 and March 1, 2023. Agenda
- 2023 NHMP Update Public Meeting on March 21, 2023. Agenda
- 2023 NHMP Community Preparedness Questionnaire and Public Comment. (No longer accepting responses.)
2023 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
The DuPage County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) was submitted to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) for approval on May 4, 2023. On June 1, 2023, FEMA approved the DuPage County 2023 NHMP pending adoption. FEMA Approved Pending Adoption (APA) Letter.
The 2023 NHMP was brought before the Judicial and Public Safety Committee on June 20, 2023. It was then adopted by the DuPage County Board on June 27, 2023, therefore granting the plan full approval by FEMA.
As of July 2023, participating jurisdictions are in the process of adopting the 2023 NHMP. They are encouraged to do so within the next year (before June 1, 2024).
Annual Meetings and Annual Reports
Annual Meeting information will be updated below as the information is announced. Beneath each year, the Annual Reports and their meeting agendas will be posted as they become available.
2024
Annual Meeting - TBA
Agenda - TBA
Annual Report - TBA
2025
Annual Meeting - TBA
Agenda - TBA
Annual Report - TBA
2026
Annual Meeting - TBA
Agenda - TBA
Annual Report - TBA
2027
Annual Meeting - TBA
Agenda - TBA
Annual Report - TBA
Questions or Comments?
Contact:
Mia Gerace
Emergency Management Specialist
mia.gerace@dupagecounty.gov
Additional Information
- Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local Mitigation Planning Handbook. Retrieved on: July 11, 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_local-mitigation-planning-handbook_052023.pdf
- Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide, Effective April 19, 2023. Retrieved on: July 7, 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_local-mitigation-planning-policy-guide_042022.pdf
