Local Governments are required by Georgia state law to create 5-year hazard mitigation plans in an effort to mitigate, or diminish, the likelihood or fallout of property damage and casualties in the event of natural or man-made disasters.  

In other words, if municipalities can create a thorough profile of their communities’ hazard history, economic and structural losses, injury and casualties and the potential for hazards to occur again, they can develop clues to estimate the potential losses, or hazard zones can be defined to determine where properties and populations are at risk.  

Hazard Mitigation Plans are reviewed by both the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (FEMA).