Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMP) are comprehensive plans that identify risk occurring from natural hazards and outline strategies to minimize that risk to prevent loss of life and property.

The first regional HMP for the Merrimack Valley was written in 2008 and updated in 2016. In early 2023, ten communities (Amesbury, Boxford, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury, West Newbury) kicked off an update to the regional plan. After a comprehensive planning process, the Merrimack Valley Region Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is now ready for local adoption!

Having and maintaining an active Hazard Mitigation Plan is a requirement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). All communities in the country must establish a plan and update it every 5 years to ensure it remains relevant.

Having a plan and administering regular updates offers a number of benefits, including the opportunity to conduct continual and comprehensive risk assessments and develop a roadmap with local actions to minimize risk. Having an active plan also makes communities eligible for federal grant funding opportunities, including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant (BRIC), and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program, along with others.

Updating the regional plan was a tremendous effort at the local level. A total of 117 representatives from across the ten participating communities served on Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Teams, meeting regularly during the planning period to assess local risk and develop strategies for future action.

The final draft of the resulting Merrimack Valley Region Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and FEMA in late November. For the Plan to be finalized and deemed “active” by FEMA, each of the ten participating communities must adopt it at the local level through an affirmative vote by their City Council or Select Board/Board of Selectmen. Over the next two months, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission will work with Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Teams to present the Plan in each community and request local adoption.

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with communities in the region to update this important plan. Looking ahead, we are eager to complete local adoption and continue supporting advancement of the Plan through implementation projects that will further bolster community and environmental resilience to natural hazards.

You can read more about Natural Hazard Planning and review the final Merrimack Valley Region Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. If you have additional questions about the planning process or local adoption, please reach out to Hanna Mogensen, Coastal Resource Coordinator at MVPC.