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Council asked to affirm county hazard mitigation plan update required for federal grants
Summary
The council reviewed the 2025 update of the Anne Arundel County Hazard Mitigation Plan, which FEMA requires every five years for eligibility for federal mitigation grants; the update expands hazard assessments and mitigation actions and adds human-caused hazards such as cyberattacks and active assailants.
The council received a briefing on the Anne Arundel County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 update on Sept. 9; adoption by the council, following an executive order from the county executive, is required for continued eligibility for certain federal mitigation grants.
Preeti Emmerich, Director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), said the updated plan keeps the county eligible for federal pre- and post-disaster mitigation funding and expands the hazard inventory and analysis. The update lists primary natural hazards — flooding, tropical systems, drought, extreme temperatures, severe storms and coastal erosion — and identifies the three top natural hazards as flooding, thunderstorms and coastal hazards. Emmerich said the update also adds human-caused hazards including emerging infectious disease, civil disturbance/active assailant, transportation accidents and cyberattacks.
The plan documents hazard descriptions, locations, past occurrences, probability of future events, impacts to people and infrastructure, and future land-use considerations. Mitigation actions highlighted in the update include improving mass notification systems, installing real-time hydrologic gauges and Mesonet weather stations, increasing pre- and post-disaster public information campaigns, targeted outreach to vulnerable populations, and activation/placement of flood-warning devices.
OEM staff noted FEMA has approved the plan and that the council’s resolution will affirm the executive order adopting the plan; the city of Annapolis has a separate plan. Councilmembers asked questions about the plan’s scope and whether infrastructure attacks (e.g., electric grid or water supply) are covered; OEM staff said such events could be captured under the plan’s human-caused hazard discussion and that specific preparedness and response policies are addressed in other operational plans and emergency-support functions outside the hazard-mitigation document.
The Planning Advisory Board recommended adoption with considerations for the next update, and FEMA’s approval places the plan in the adoption phase pending the council’s resolution.
