Laserfiche WebLink
Macon County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan 12024 <br /> 2.6 Equity Considerations for Underserved Communities and Socially Vulnerable <br /> Populations <br /> Some disasters occur on larger scales and are more impacted by built environments and are most <br /> likely to continually impact those most at risk because of existing health conditions, lack of <br /> resources, being underserved by past mitigation planning work, facing historical disinvestment <br /> in their communities, or other factors. In this case, people in widely different locations can be <br /> the most harmed by repeating disaster cycles, so mitigation strategies should also work to break <br /> cycles of loss caused by social and economic disparities. Hazard mitigation strategies can reduce <br /> existing risk by, for example, relocating a building out of an area that frequently floods. In each <br /> case, an attempt has been made to lessen the harm of a future flood before the event happens. <br /> Strategies may also seek to make future development less vulnerable to hazards at the time it is <br /> built. Examples would be requiring new structures to be elevated above predicted flood levels or <br /> by building structures to better withstand future hazards. Hazard mitigation plans are designed <br /> to involve the input of stakeholders from different perspectives to ensure plans use the best <br /> available data, are aligned with the needs of the entire community, and are in alignment with <br /> other plans, such as comprehensive plans, capital improvement plans, and climate action plans. <br /> This Plan continues to recognize that all members of the community are not impacted in the <br /> same way by natural disasters. Some community members are at more risk, for a number of <br /> possible reasons. A mitigation strategy that uses a 'one size fits all' approach, and does not <br /> recognize different levels of risk, will not adequately or efficiently support historically <br /> underserved populations; and can actually make inequalities worse after a disaster. <br /> This version of the Plan highlights equity as a key part of the overall Plan vision.This Plan update <br /> seeks to continue to develop a shared understanding among participants of how hazard <br /> mitigation can be made more inclusive and be proactive in creating strategies that reduce existing <br /> disparities in risk and hazard recovery. Addressing the whole community requires an <br /> understanding that while a single solution for all seems fair, it does not address historical <br /> inequalities and current differences in age, financial resources, housing stability, neighborhood <br /> investment, health or ability, and access to government services. In mitigation planning, this <br /> means that successfully reducing risk in the most meaningful and efficient way requires <br /> understanding how the distribution of resources will actually reduce risk and for whom. <br /> Equitable mitigation success should be measured by assessing who was most impacted in loss of <br /> life or financial harm by past and future disasters,quantifiable reductions of vulnerability to those <br /> most at risk, and increasing engagement with historically underserved populations and <br /> community organizations to better understand how plans and processes and natural hazard <br /> events are affecting different communities. <br /> Chapter 3: Community Profile describes different demographic and economic factors in Macon <br /> County. This section includes FEMA's National Risk Index scores for Macon County for social <br /> Chapter 2: Plan Process 19 <br />