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.

The Coffee Breaks 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, 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.

To sign up for future Coffee Break Webinar notifications and the Region 3 Resilience Report Newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

Exploring Approaches to Plan Integration

May 5, 2021 11AM ET - 12PM ET

Plan Integration can be an overwhelming challenge. What tier of plans should I address: local, county, or planning district? How many plans within that tier should I review? What questions should I ask about these plans? Are there any resources to assist me in this process? Please join us for our May Coffee Break as we dive into questions about plan integration, as well as potential resources to assist you in this endeavor.

Identifying Technical Assistance Opportunities and Resources

July 15, 2021 11AM ET - 12PM ET

FEMA Region 3 and State Partners both provide an array of technical assistance and training opportunities to support local hazard mitigation planning. This webinar will provide an overview of some of these federal and state training opportunities, as well as how to develop and deliver a local workshop in your community.

Understanding Mitigation: Preparing for a Zombie Apocalypse

September 29, 2021 11AM ET - 12PM ET

Mitigation and Mitigation Planning can be a challenging concept for the general public to understand. In this coffee break, we will show how the latest Guide to Expanding Mitigation uses a zombie invasion to make mitigation easy to understand, accessible and fun. See how common mitigation actions such as zoning ordinances and fortifications can be applied to pop culture references and other natural hazards for better engagement across audiences.

Assessing Substantial Damage through your Hazard Mitigation Plan

November 3, 2021 11AM ET - 12PM ET

For communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), substantial damage determinations are required by local floodplain management ordinances. Substantial damage applies to a structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) for which the total cost of post-disaster repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s pre-disaster market value. This webinar will explain the importance of assessing your community’s substantial damage process in your Hazard Mitigation Plan.