Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 3 is hosting a webinar series for hazard mitigation planners and other partners interested in reducing risk in their communities. These “Coffee Breaks” are hour-long webinar sessions hosted every other month to provide mitigation best practices and highlight the work happening at federal, regional, state, and community levels to reduce risk across the region.

Coffee Break webinars are open to everyone involved in hazard mitigation, resiliency, or risk reduction planning in the public and private sectors, which includes community planners, emergency managers, floodplain managers, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technicians, government officials, contractors, and anyone else involved in the development and implementation of hazard mitigation and risk reduction strategies.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Webinar log in/call in information will be sent out several days prior to the date of the Coffee Break.
• Attendees may be eligible to receive continuing education credits.
• To sign up for future Coffee Break Webinar notifications and the Region 3 Resilience Report Newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

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Upcoming Coffee Breaks

Exploring Mitigation Actions

December 15, 2021 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Identifying mitigation actions that reflect the needs and values of the participating jurisdictions is an important part of developing effective Mitigation Strategies in a Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). Communities are encouraged to seek different and innovative ideas for reducing risk that meet their unique needs. Regularly evaluating mitigation actions within the HMP and updating them to reflect the current environment helps communities develop strong long-term mitigation programs. This webinar will highlight examples of actionable mitigation, including nature-based solutions and community-wide projects, and how to fund them.

Identifying & Prioritizing At-Risk Community Assets

January 19, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Prioritizing locally identified, at-risk community assets is an essential part of developing a list of potential projects that will reduce hazard vulnerabilities in your community. This prioritized list of assets will help to set the tone for what projects/solutions might later be developed within the Mitigation Strategies section of the Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). This webinar will explore how to prioritize at-risk community assets within the HMP process to increase the awareness and understanding of potential community impacts of hazards.

Funding Your Hazard Mitigation Actions

March 30, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Once a Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) is approved, communities must employ a variety of funding sources to implement their prioritized mitigation actions. Though FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) offers a significant source of mitigation funding, the evolving exposure of vulnerable populations, the enduring impacts of climate change, and the increasing cost of natural disaster damages warrant the use of additional sources of mitigation funding that are often identified within an HMP, yet less frequently pursued. This webinar will explore how to implement mitigation actions through a variety of funding sources available at the state and federal level.

Future Conditions and Hazard Mitigation Planning

May 18, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

The time to plan for future conditions is now. In this training, participants will learn about the four factors that FEMA includes in ‘future conditions’: climate change, population change, demographic change, and land use/development change and how to integrate them into a Hazard Mitigation Plan. This webinar will highlight examples of how future conditions can impact risk assessment and the development of effective mitigation strategies in order to respond to a changing world.

Establishing Meaningful Outreach Strategies

July 20, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

From big cities to small towns, effective community-wide public outreach is vital to developing a Hazard Mitigation Plan that reflects the priorities of each individual jurisdiction. Early and often engagement with community members helps local officials understand their community risk, identify interest in specific mitigation projects, establish where to allocate mitigation funding to reach those most in need, and develop community ownership of the plan. This webinar will explore different methods of public outreach and examples of successful mitigation communication strategies.

Addressing Equity through Hazard Mitigation Planning

September 21, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Considering equity in emergency management and hazard mitigation is an important goal. The most at-risk members of our community often experience the greatest losses from disasters. A “Whole Community” approach to hazard mitigation includes incorporating the considerations of these populations into the hazard mitigation planning and project development process. This webinar will make the connection between equitable planning and inclusive project development and the community outreach that goes into making this possible.

Utilizing University Partnerships in Hazard Mitigation Planning

November 16, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Bringing the right people to the table is an important component of hazard mitigation planning. Universities possess unique data and the opportunity to research important topics to hazard mitigation, including development changes, ongoing mitigation efforts, and the impacts of natural hazards. This webinar will explore how to maximize the opportunity for collaboration between jurisdictions and higher education institutes when drafting Hazard Mitigation Plans.

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Previous Coffee Breaks

Webinars marked with an asterisk (*) were recorded.

2021

• Exploring FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance and Resources*
• Connecting Climate Change to Hazard Mitigation Planning*
• Exploring Approaches to Plan Integration*
• Identifying Technical Assistance Opportunities and Resources*
• Successful Project Planning*

2020

• Incorporating Historic and Cultural Resources in Your Hazard Mitigation Plan*
• Annual Hazard Mitigation Plan Reviews: Options and Outcomes*
• Addressing the Risks of High Hazard Potential Dams*
• Tracking Risk Reduction through Your Capabilities Assessment*
• Bringing Lifelines into Hazard Mitigation Planning*

2019

• Utilizing Universities as Partners in Hazard Mitigation Plan Drafting and Implementation
• Floodplain Management and Hazard Mitigation Planning
• Engaging the Arts in Mitigation & Planning*
• Revisiting Loss Avoidance and the Benefit Cost Analysis Process*
• Integrating EPA Programs and Hazard Mitigation Planning*

2018

• Developing FEMA Mitigation Planning Grant Applications: Better Plans Start with Better Scopes of Work
• New Approaches to Improving Your Hazard Risk Assessments
• Integrating Your Long Range Vision with your Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Loss Avoidance Studies: Quantify the Benefits of Mitigation
• Leveraging Your Hazard Mitigation Plan to do More

2017

• Building your Hazard Mitigation Planning Team
• Improving Your Risk Analysis
• Effective Public Engagement