Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaption Plan - CRCOG Communities

In recent weeks, the Capitol Region in Connecticut has been contending with the impact of flooding from storms. These storms are a strong reminder of the risks posed by natural disasters. The region’s communities have shared in the development and adoption of a natural hazard mitigation plan for two decades, with updates incorporated every five years. The region’s communities are again working with the Capitol Region Council of Government (CRCOG) to update the plan, and this time the challenges associated with climate change will be incorporated directly into the plan to produce a “Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (HMCAP)”. The plan will outline a set of actions that can be taken to reduce losses of property and life due to natural disasters like floods, severe wind events, winter storms, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat events, and earthquakes; and will outline a set of actions to reduce impacts of these events when made worse by the effects of climate change.

The hazard mitigation and climate adaptation planning effort is being led by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), which is located at UConn’s Avery Point Campus. CIRCA is also leveraging this update to expand its “Resilient Connecticut” program from a narrow pilot region to the entire state, with a strong focus in the Hartford region.

People living and working in and near the CRCOG region have several opportunities to provide input to the planning process. An online, internet-based experience called a “story map” has been developed and can be accessed at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ce49080668d14e6eac9f26f0d5128a0c/. An optional survey is embedded in the story map.

Comments about the Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan for the Hartford Region of Connecticut can also be sent directly to the CRCOG office at: mgoulet@crcog.org.

The Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan for CRCOG will continue to make the region’s communities eligible for seeking hazard mitigation assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Connecticut. The plan will also help align the region with new State funding programs that become available in the future.