1998 Year of the Ocean Mitigating the Impacts of Coastal Hazards 



One of the most important details concerning hazard mitigation is that the vast majority 

 of disaster reduction activities must be implemented at the local level. Most of the techniques 

 that can reduce natural hazard vulnerability involve specific actions that can only be carried out 

 by individuals or local communities. One of the key challenges facing national-level mitigation 

 efforts is making the information useful at the local level while recognizing the vast differences 

 in local conditions, both physical and political. 



KEY MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 



Disaster management has been described in the past as a cycle, divided into four major 

 categories, including preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. While these categories 

 provide a good framework for discussing different aspects of emergency management, it is 

 somewhat misleading to discuss hazard mitigation as a separate, distinct "phase" of disaster 

 management. 



Hazard mitigation has been described as a primary goal or objective to reduce future 

 disaster vulnerability. This goal can be achieved through various strategies implemented 

 throughout the preparedness, response, and recovery phases of disaster management. Common 

 elements required to successftiUy integrate mitigation into all phases of emergency management 

 include developing a better understanding of the various hazards and their potential impacts, and 

 identifying options and opportunities within each phase to accomplish loss reduction objectives. 

 Improvements in these areas will require a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach to disaster 

 management involving various degrees of research, science, technical resources, and education, 

 as well as public policy development and implementation. 



Mitigation Through Better Predictions, Forecasts, and Warnings 



Over the years, progress has been made in reducing hazard impacts through better 

 predictions, forecasts, and warnings, particularly for meteorological hazards such as coastal 

 storms and floods. General improvements in hurricane and tsunami prediction, and river and lake 

 level forecasting, have been possible using the latest in computer modeling technology. NOAA's 

 National Weather Service (NWS) is currently working with several new technological systems 

 that are intended to significantly improve future flood forecasting capabilities. The NWS is 

 pursuing improvements to flood warning systems that utilize two-way communication 

 capabilities and provide real-time information to residents in flood prone areas. The USGS is 

 also pursuing the use of new data collection and mapping technologies to provide near real-time 

 information on storm events. 



While research and technological advances have resulted in improvements in prediction 

 and forecasting capabilities, there continues to be a need for advancements that could further 

 mitigate disaster-related expenditures. Better and more accurate hurricane landfall predictions 

 could save millions of dollars in evacuation costs, while longer range flood forecasting could 

 result in longer lead times necessary to undertake adequate property protection and mitigation 



H-5 



