Local Hazard Mitigation Plans

A Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is a future community resilience and climate adaptation plan. All hazards that may cause damages or threaten life and property are assessed in the LHMP so that the community can develop projects and initiatives to address vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities may be homes or businesses in the floodplain or river corridor, high-risk factor populations that may be cut off from electricity and communication in a wind, ice or snow storm, workers exposed to extreme heat when working outdoors, or farms and businesses that are not prepared for the impacts of drought and invasive species.

The top hazards in Vermont include fluvial erosion (movement of waterways), inundation flooding, heat, wind, snow, ice, drought, infectious disease (vector-borne illness), cold, invasive (pest) species, landslides and wildfire. Your community may also determine that other non-climate related hazards need to be included in your resilience plan, such as earthquakes.

All municipalities in Vermont, and even special planning districts such as school districts or RPCs, can be funded by FEMA, through VEM, to create a LHMP, or climate change adaptation and resilience plan. VEM applies for funding on behalf of municipalities annually.

While the resilience plan is community-led and unique to each planning area, they must also meet FEMA requirements in order for the planning area to be eligible for FEMA hazard mitigation grants. A table summarizing funding eligibility can be found here.