State Hazard Mitigation Plans and Social Vulnerability

Painter Mary Angelica (), Villarreal Melissa and Peek Lori
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Painter Mary Angelica: Natural Hazards Center, 1877 University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO, USA
Villarreal Melissa: Natural Hazards Center, 1877 University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO, USA
Peek Lori: Natural Hazards Center, 1877 University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO, USA

Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2025, vol. 22, issue 2, 139-166

Abstract: U.S. states, territories, and tribal areas develop State Hazard Mitigation Plans (SHMPs) to reduce the impact of disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approves SHMPs every five years as required for states to receive disaster relief grants and mitigation project funding. In 2023, FEMA’s updated policy guidance for SHMPs took effect, recommending more robust use of social vulnerability as an assessment of equity in multi-hazard risk assessments. Such approaches are necessary because social vulnerability emerges from systemic inequities that result in marginalized populations facing disproportionate exposure and impacts from natural hazards. We developed two novel datasets on the different population groups, definitions, and measures of social vulnerability included in SHMPs for all 50 U.S. states and the 5 inhabited U.S. territories. Our analysis shows that states differ in terms of how (and if) social vulnerability is defined and measured. All plans include at least one vulnerable population in their guidance – most often the elderly, children, or people with disabilities. Inclusion of other populations such as immigrants, LGBTQIA + persons, or unhoused persons is much more varied. The study concludes with recommendations for how SHMPs can advance equitable and inclusive planning processes that center robust definitions and measures of social vulnerability and socially vulnerable populations.

Keywords: state hazard mitigation plans; social vulnerability; socially vulnerable populations; risk reduction; equity; content analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1515/jhsem-2024-0023

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