City of Boston Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan approved by City Council and Federal Emergency Management Agency

Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the approval of the City of Boston’s 2021 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) update led by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). NHMP was adopted by the Boston City Council on December 1, 2021. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) approval of NHMP went into effect on December 6, 2021. This approval maintains the City’s eligibility for FEMA grant funding. 

Starting in January 2021, OEM began updating Boston’s 2014 NHMP through a comprehensive engagement process that included City departments, community partners in a variety of areas, and the citizens of Boston. The NHMP collects and aligns projects that aim to reduce the potential impacts from natural hazards such as severe winter weather, flooding, and extreme heat. Equity and environmental justice considerations were key parts of this process. The overall approach focused on severity, probability, location, historical occurrences, climate change, and risk, with the goal of  documenting past successes and challenges regarding natural hazards to better develop solutions for tomorrow. 

"As a coastal city, Boston has the opportunity to show how action on climate change can be transformational for our communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. "This hazard mitigation plan update will reduce our City’s risks associated with natural hazards and inform future planning associated with a changing climate, advancing Boston’s efforts to become a more resilient, healthy, and equitable city.”

“The city’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is critical for aligning efforts in this space,” said Shumeane Benford, Chief of Emergency Management. “OEM is grateful for the contributions and partnerships across city departments that made these updates possible.”

The approval of the City’s 2021 NHMP will maintain the City’s eligibility for FEMA grant funding such as the Building Resilient Infrastructure (BRIC) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Successful applications for these Mitigation Grants by City Departments could potentially bring tens of millions of dollars into the City to support both ongoing mitigation initiatives in addition to new ones identified in the 2021 plan. 

Visit the City’s NHMP webpage to learn more, review Boston’s 2021 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, and stay updated on the process and next steps.  

For Boston emergency alerts, including cold-weather alerts, residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert Boston. 

Follow OEM on Facebook (City of Boston Office of Emergency Management), Instagram (@BostonOEM), and Twitter (@AlertBoston) and the hashtags #ResilientBoston #BostonNHMP

If you have any questions or would like to receive updates on this project, please contact EngageOEM@boston.gov