A Project for a Professional Degree submitted to The Faculty of School of Engineering and Applied Science of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Applied Scientist of Engineering Management May 21, 2006

On October 10, 2000, The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000 or DMA 2K) (Public Law 106-390) was enacted, amending the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and established new requirements for the national for hazard mitigation planning. States, Tribes, territories, and local governments now must have an approved mitigation plan in place prior to receiving certain types of Stafford Act assistance. The Pre- Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program is to stimulate this awareness in the local communities, but is it? Also is there a method to identify the “disaster proneness” of state and local governments and their communities and the level of “awareness” by state and local governments and their communities

Of the 1142 local FEMA - Approved Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans how much of the population is protected by these local government plans? Is the program meeting the congressionally intent of proving incentives for state and local governments to place a greater emphasis on the awareness of the risks and vulnerabilities to the natural disasters that threaten their communities and to provide a consistent source of funding for predisaster mitigation planning and projects, primarily addressing natural hazards?

In the Literature Review, Pre-Disaster Planning and Mitigation, Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program Funding, the Census of the Population and Governments and the Federally Declared Disasters Archives are reviewed, noting that the Stafford Act, as amended by DMA 2000 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002, covers a larger landmass and more jurisdictions and populations then the average person and even some practitioners would except. In the Results is a summary of what found in the document review of FEMA - Approved Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans and the concepts of “disaster proneness”, the population “protected” and “awareness” are explored to evaluate the FEMA - Approved Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program.