Hazard Mitigation

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors officially adopted the Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) (PDF) on April 14, 2010 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA found the Plan to be in conformance with Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations Part 201.6 Local Mitigation Plans). FEMA's approval of the Plan is for a period of 5 years, effective starting date of April 30, 2010.  The first 5-year update was officially adopted by the County of Maricopa Arizona, on November 18, 2015. Due to the COVID-19 emergency, the next five year update was delayed until 2022.  The update was completed, and the plan being officially adopted by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, on February 9, 2022.

Hazard mitigation planning reduces the risk to people and property, and reduces the cost of recovering from a disaster. A hazard mitigation plan can help communities become more sustainable and disaster-resistant by focusing efforts on the hazards, disaster-prone areas and identifying appropriate mitigation actions. Effective mitigation planning and efforts can break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.

Maricopa County and twenty four incorporated cities and towns, two tribes and one other governmental organizations participated in a cooperative effort to update the Maricopa County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The County and each participating community have an approved hazard mitigation plan resulting from this planning team effort to reduce the potential loss from natural hazards. This plan is a living document that requires adjustments to maintain its relevance and remain a useful tool and resource.

The planning team members are committed to continuously monitor and document any changes to the recommended actions in the Maricopa County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This effort is essential for determining the progress made on each hazard mitigation initiative and in performing the annual evaluations of the plan.

Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update


Maricopa County and the 25 incorporated city and towns and two tribes located within the county have joined forces to review and update the existing 2015 Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.  The goal of mitigation planning is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property from natural hazard events.  Mitigation is not how we respond to emergencies like floods and wildfires, but rather how we as a community prevent the impact of such things in the first place.

The mitigation planning process involves identifying and profiling the natural hazards most likely to occur in a community, assessing the vulnerability to these hazards, and establishing goals, actions, and projects that mitigate the associated risks.  The update of this mitigation plan will also ensure continued eligibility for both emergency and non-emergency, federal and state hazard mitigation grants.

The multi-jurisdictional planning team has prepared a draft of the 2021 Maricopa County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.  A digital copy of the draft plan can be obtained here: 2021 Draft Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan.


 Actualización del Plan Multijurisdiccional de Mitigación de Peligros del Condado Maricopa


 El Condado Maricopa y las 25 ciudades y pueblos incorporados y dos tribus ubicadas dentro del condado han unido fuerzas para revisar y actualizar el Plan de Mitigación de Peligros Multijurisdiccionales del Condado Maricopa 2015. El objetivo de planificacion de mitigación es reducir o eliminar el riesgo a largo plazo para la vida y la propiedad de las amenazas naturales. La mitigación no es cómo respondemos a emergencias como inundaciones e incendios forestales, sino cómo nosotros, como comunidad, prevenimos el impacto de tales cosas.

El proceso de planificación de mitigación identifica y perfila los peligros naturales con mayor probabilidad de ocurrir en una comunidad, evalua la vulnerabilidad a estos peligros y establece metas, acciones y proyectos que mitiguen los riesgos asociados. La actualización de este plan de mitigación también asegurará la elegibilidad continua para subvenciones de mitigación de peligros federales y estatales, tanto de emergencia como de no emergencia.

El equipo de planificación multijurisdiccional ha preparado la primera version del Plan de Mitigación de Peligros Multijurisdiccionales del Condado Maricopa 2021. Puede obtener una copia digital de esta version:  2021 Draft Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan