| Local government is responsible for the health, safety and well-being of the individuals that it represents. Therefore, it is local government that is expected to exhibit an active role in emergency management operations. Such pre-disaster land use mitigation strategies include, but are not limited to, general plan adoption, zoning ordinance implementation, subdivision regulations, building code requirements, and property acquisitions. Unfortunately, the willingness and capacity to address pre-disaster land use mitigation is often lacking at the local government level. In most instances, a local jurisdiction must experience a major disaster before implementing and revising outdated land use regulations. Despite growing national, state, and local concerns over natural hazards, it is expected that pre-disaster management will remain a low priority within the structure of local government. |
