What Is Disaster Mitigation?

For many living in States where tornadoes and flooding are considered common, there is generally a broader understanding of disaster mitigation than in other areas of the country. Mitigation is the work or effort put into reducing the loss of property and life due to a disaster.

It is the disaster pre-planning that is conducted to reduce the damages and in many times the cost of repairs needed after a disaster. FEMA estimates that for each dollar invested into mitigation planning, an average of four dollars is saved.

Tornadoes, hurricanes, severe storms and flooding can happen without warning. Though our weather services and news teams do their best to warn us of pending danger, it is rarely provided so far ahead that a family can fix and prepare for that damage. Warnings are usually provided with enough time to get families to safety and supplies gathered. To ensure your home or business sustains the blow, well-thought out mitigation work should be done well ahead of a disaster.

There are a number of state and federal services available to assist with home and property mitigation. There are also disaster recovery services, like Polygon, with a long history of understanding property damage due to flooding and storms that can provide excellent resources on both pre and post-disaster recovery recommendations.