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Mitigation

Hazard Mitigation Plan

This page provides information about the update to the Ada County All Hazard Mitigation Plan. Meeting schedules, meeting minutes and other information may be found on this page.

Effective November 1, 2004, a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is required for participation in its Hazard Mitigation programs. To ensure that the latest information and analysis is contained in the plan it must be updated every five years.

Mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency management. It’s the continuing effort to lessen the impact disasters have on people and property. Mitigation is defined as “sustained action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects.”

In an effort coordinated by Ada County Emergency Management & Community Resilience (EMCR), local governments and districts completed the 2022 update of the Ada County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The update included information on:

  • The seven potential natural hazards of Ada County and dam failure
  • Risk assessments, that include computer modeling, to describe potential losses from these hazards
  • A set of goals, objectives and actions that will guide future mitigation activities within the county
  • A system for implementing and monitoring the plan in the future

This plan update included new modeling of the hazards based on the most recent data available. The plan is composed of two volumes. Volume One examines potential disasters and mitigation on a county-wide basis, and identifies desired actions that could reduce risk for the area as a whole. Volume Two is composed of individual annexes for each of the planning partners (local jurisdictions and taxing districts) that are participating in the process. These annexes address specific mitigation actions that each partner has identified as possible methodologies to reduce risk in their area.

The Ada County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update process included the following:

  • Strategically located and planned mitigation projects that prioritized the protection of people, structures, infrastructure and unique ecosystems that contribute to our way of life and the sustainability of the local economy.
  • Involved the maximum number of planning partners (local governments) that wish to participate in the process.
  • Ensured that the goals, objectives, identified hazards and mitigation strategies coincided with those documented in the most current State of Idaho All Hazards Mitigation Plan.
  • Enhanced the risk assessment and analysis of the current plan using the most up to date geographic data and modeling tools available.
  • Created outreach and public education opportunities to display and discuss risk assessment/analysis with the people of Ada County.
  • Met or exceeded all the requirements of a FEMA All Hazards Mitigation Plan as the center point of the community’s participation in FEMA Hazard Mitigation programs.

The mitigation planning process process is guided by a Steering Committee composed of government staff, private sector stake holders and citizens.

Steering Committee Mission Statement: Reduce the vulnerability to natural hazards in order to protect the health, safety, welfare and economy of the Ada County community.

Steering Committee Meeting for the 2024 Progress Report of the Ada County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan

Date: TBD, estimated late Summer 2024
Time: TBD
Location: The meeting will be held virtually. To attend, email [email protected] one week prior to the date. Meeting invites will be sent in response to requests.

Meeting Agenda: Pdf logoTBD

PDF icon Steering Committee Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives for the Plan

Steering Committee Meetings are open to the public. The meetings are conducted using the rules below:

Steering Committee Meeting Rules

Steering Committee Meeting Summaries by date:

PDF icon  November 01, 2023

As part of the Mitigation Plan maintenance, the planning partners report progress and review mitigation initiatives. This report is compiled annually except for years when a total plan update is completed.

Pdf logo 2022-2023 Ada County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Progress Report

2022 Ada County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan