City of Boston seeks public input for Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan update

The City of Boston’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is updating Boston’s 2014 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP). The NHMP will identify projects to reduce the potential impacts from natural hazards like severe winter weather, flooding, and extreme heat. The planning process will focus on severity, probability, location, historical occurrences, climate change, and risk, with the goal of documenting past successes and challenges to better develop solutions for tomorrow. Equity and environmental justice considerations are key parts of this process. The City is being diligent and intentional about the makeup of this plan so that it reflects the diverse communities within our neighborhoods. The City recognizes overlaps between the NHMP update and related planning processes and is coordinating with projects and initiatives including Climate Ready Boston and the ongoing Heat Resilience Planning Study.

“As Mayor of a coastal city, ensuring our communities are resilient from major threats is a key priority for my administration,” said Mayor Janey. “From flooding to extreme temperatures, we are committed to working with our residents to create innovative solutions to keep our city strong and resilient in the future.” 

The City is seeking input from residents, which is vital to ensure the planning process is representative. Given COVID-19 restrictions, the City will be sharing resources to connect online, and will conduct two virtual public meetings in May and June to keep the community informed. You can take the following steps today to help the City plan for a more resilient future:

• Take an online survey to share your experiences of extreme events and ideas to increase resilience, available in English, Español, 简体中文, Kreyòl ayisyen, Tiếng Việt, Kriolu di Kabu Verdi. 
• Visit the project webpage for the latest information and a fact sheet, available in English, Español, 简体中文, Kreyòl ayisyen, Tiếng Việt, Kriolu di Kabu Verdi
• RSVP at tinyurl.com/BostonNHMPrsvp for our virtual public meeting on May 5th at 6:00 PM. Translation and interpretation are available at no cost in Español, 简体中文, Kreyòl ayisyen, Tiếng Việt, Kriolu di Kabu Verdi, but please contact us one week before the event to make arrangements in your preferred language (EngageOEM@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov).
• For emergency alerts, including cold-weather alerts, residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert Boston. 

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

The NHMP update is funded by the Federal Emergency Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which provides technical and financial support for state, tribal, and local governments to reduce risk and the potential impact of future disasters. The NHMP update will maintain the City’s eligibility for FEMA grant funding to continue protecting Boston against natural hazards.

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