PDM Commonly Asked Questions and Answers

Is there a format or template I can use to develop this plan?

Can the county contract this plan?

Are counties required to complete a Pre-Disaster Mitigation plan; if a plan is not completed, what happens?

Do counties have to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to be eligible for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation planning funds?

How much public involvement is required for this plan?

Does the plan have to encompass man-made hazards?

What do counties do once they have finished a plan?

How often does the plan have to be reviewed?

Q.  Is there a format or template I can use to develop this plan?

A.  Yes, FEMA has created a “crosswalk” and it walks you through all the points that need to be covered in your pre-disaster mitigation plan.  (View the "crosswalk" in PDF format) - (View the "template" in PDF format).

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Q.  Can the county contract this plan?

A.  Yes, we ask that the county supply a copy of the contract to our office if this option is chosen.

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Q.  Are counties required to complete a Pre-Disaster Mitigation plan; if a plan is not completed, what happens?

A.  No, counties are not required to complete the plan, but every county is encouraged to complete a plan because it will make for a better prepared county in the event of a disaster.  If a county chooses not to complete a plan, then the county will not be eligible for future hazard mitigation grant program and pre-disaster mitigation funding for projects.

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Q.  Do counties have to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to be eligible for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation planning funds?

A.  The community does not have to participate in the NFIP to receive the planning funds; however, to be eligible for future funds for identified mitigation projects within the plan, the community will need to join the NFIP and also be in good standing.

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Q.  How much public involvement is required for this plan?

A.  The public should be invited to participate in all aspects of the plan.  Documentation needs to be kept as to how the public was invited and the attendance of any public that came to the meetings.  There is no set guideline that states how much public involvement is required.  The requirement is that the public needs to be invited to participate if they choose.

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Q.  Does the plan have to encompass man-made hazards?

A.  No, however we encourage the county to develop a plan that does encompass these hazards.

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Q.  What do counties do once they have finished a plan?

A.  The county should submit the plan to SDDEM for review to ensure that no changes need to be made.  If our office determines that no changes need to be made then the county and all entities that were involved in the plan should formally adopt the plan.  Our office will need copies of all entities' adoption of the plan.

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Q.  How often does the plan have to be reviewed?

A.  The county is required to review and update the plan every 5 years; however, it is a good idea to review plans every year to keep the plan up to date of any changes in the county.

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